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Effects of brain death and glucose infusion on hepatic glycogen and blood hormones in the pig
Author(s) -
Roelsgaard K,
Bøtker H E,
StødkildeJørgensen H,
Andreasen F,
Jensen S L,
Keiding S
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.510240419
Subject(s) - insulin , endocrinology , medicine , glycogen , glucagon , saline , hormone , biology
We wished to study the effects of intravenous glucose/ insulin infusion to brain‐dead pigs on the hepatic glycogen content. Four groups of 40‐ kg pigs were studied: brain‐dead and control pigs given isotonic saline or glucose/insulin (7.5 mg glucose/kg/min, 1.25 mU insulin/kg/ min) (n = 5 to 10 in each group). Brain death was induced by inflating a balloon placed in the epidural space. In brain‐dead pigs given saline, liver glycogen decreased from 45 ± 11 mmol/g DNA (mean ± SEM) to 7 ± 3 mmol/ g DNA after 6 hours. Thereafter, it increased to 28 ± 9 mmol/g DNA after 9 hours ( P = .05 compared with the 6‐hour measurement). These changes were accompanied by transient increases in plasma adrenaline, glucose, free fatty acids (FFA), and glucagon. Following glucose/ insulin infusion, hepatic glycogen increased steadily and was approximately double after 12 hours ( P < .01) in both brain‐dead and in non‐brain‐dead pigs. In brain‐dead pigs, the increases in the aforementioned blood measurements were smaller following glucose/insulin infusion than following saline infusion. However, studies of longer duration will be needed to examine these effects on a time scale that is relevant to human organ donors. In conclusion, the decrease in hepatic glycogen content after brain death could be prevented by intravenous glucose/insulin infusion probably because of a reduction of the adrenaline response to the induction of brain death.