Abstract
Perfusion of the isolated hind-limb of rats according to Ruderman (1971) was used
to study the effect of survival of the animal during perfusion on various metabolic
parameters. Considerable differences were found between rats killed before perfusion
and live rats. In living animals glycerol production and lactate production are higher
than in dead animals. Glucose consumption is higher in the latter. The main cause
of these differences seems to be the influence of an active sympathetic nervous system
in living animals, which is inactivated in a dead animal. This conclusion is corroborated
by the results of experiments done in animals treated with propanolol. Lactate production
is probably not under sole control of the sympathetic nervous system. The higher glucose
uptake and lower lactate production found by Strohfeld (1973), as compared with the
results of Ruderman (1971), is not necessarily only a reflection of the feeding state
of the animal but may also be the expression of a difference in the activity of the
sympathetic nervous system. Consequently, in the investigation of muscle metabolism
in an isolated hind-quarter the activity of the sympathetic nervous system should
be taken into account in the interpretation of the results.
Key words
Skeletal Muscle - Hind Limb Perfusion - Sympathetic Nervous System - Propanolol