Author's abstract

The purpose of our investigation was to search for differences in catecholamine secretion between 5 type I diabetics (IDD) and 5 normal subjects (NC) using bicycle ergometry with increasing work load to exhaustion. Special attention was given to simultaneously changing values of lipid metabolism in arterial blood. At exhaustion, NC (work load 269 W) had an increase of adrenaline from 55 +/- 6 to 1213 +/- 720 pg/ml and noradrenaline from 95 +/- 12 to 1710 +/- 506 pg/ml, while IDD (work load 195 W), with respect to the lower work load, had a smaller increase of adrenaline from 62 +/- 8 to 176 +/- 24 pg/ml and noradrenaline from 98 +/- 6 to 612 +/- 175 pg/ml. Growth hormone and free glycerol increased in NC and IDD, while free fatty acids decreased under high work loads. Exhaustive physical exercise loads produce increasing levels of catecholamines in NC, while in IDD the increase of adrenaline and noradrenaline is disproportionately low. Lipolysis is stimulated under exhaustive exercise as indicated by the free glycerol increment, while free fatty acids decrease, because they are consumed for energy in both, NC and IDD. The poorer exercise-induced release of catecholamines in IDD, which does not correspond to the work load, may be an indicator of diabetic neuropathy The lipid metabolism is obviously not influenced. Verf.-Referat