Insulin induced reversibility of altered responsiveness in femoral arterial bed of diabetic dogs.
The altered reactivities of femoral arterial bed to noradrenaline, phenylephrine, adenosine and prostacyclin were compared in 18, clinically manifest but aketotic, alloxan diabetic mongrel dogs. Alloxan treatment markedly increased the vasoconstrictor responses to noradrenaline and phenylephrine, as well as the adenosine-induced vasodilation in the femoral vasculature. These changes were prevented or normalized, respectively, in the early or late insulin-treated alloxan diabetic animals. In the case of noradrenaline not only a normalization but also an explicit overcompensation could be observed by insulin treatment. The altered reactivity to prostacyclin could not be influenced by insulin therapy. These results indicate a significant difference in the effect of insulin treatment on the altered diabetic vascular responsiveness to catecholamines and adenosine or to prostacyclin.