Question

An adult male is given an injection of epinephrine after a bee sting. He has quickly become hyperglycemic. The most likely cause of high serum glucose is an increase in which of the following processes?

a) increased glycolysis

b) hepatic glycolysis

c) lipolysis in adipose tissue, which in turn increases gluconeogenesis in the liver

d) hepatic glycogenolysis

e) increased flux through pentose phosphate pathway

Answer 1

ANSWER :

If an adult male person is given injection of epinephrine after the bee sting, he quickly becomes hyperglycemic (high serum glucose) due to stimulation of lipolysis in the adipose tissue, which in turn increases the gluconeogenesis in the liver. Even low plasma concentration about 75-125 pg/ml can triggers the lipolysis in tissues quickly, however hepatic glycogenolysis required high epinephrine plasma concentrations (about 150-200 pg/ml). Hence option (c) is the correct answer about quick response of epinephrine.