Skeletal muscle can release or take up lactate depending on the lactate concentration gradient across the cell membrane. In the perfused rat hindlimb without arterial lactate, both noradrenaline (NA) infusion and increased flow promote lactate release and oxygen consumption (VO2). However, it is unclear whether NA or increased flow rate have similar effects on lactate uptake. The present study compares these effects in the rat hindlimb perfused at a basal flow rate of 0.33 mL min-1 g-1 and 25 °C in the presence of added arterial lactate. When 10 mmol L-1 L-(+)-lactate was added to the arterial perfusate, lactate was taken up (16 ± 1.0 μmol g-1 h-1, n = 13) by the hindlimb with a 35% higher VO2 than that without added lactate. Doubling perfusion flow rate enhanced lactate uptake and VO2 by 120% and 40%, respectively. Glucose uptake was also increased (by 253%) with increased flow. Infusion of NA increased perfusion pressure, VO2 and glucose uptake similarly to those induced by increased flow rate. However, lactate uptake was inhibited by NA. This inhibition was not altered by the β-adrenergic antagonist propranolol. Vasopressin also showed similar effects to NA to decrease lactate uptake associated with increased VO2 and vasoconstriction. These data indicate that in the presence of a high arterial lactate concentration, NA has opposite effects from increased flow rate on skeletal muscle lactate uptake although both have similar effects on lactate release in the absence of arterial lactate. Inhibition of lactate uptake may relate to the vasoconstrictive action of NA.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Medical and Health Sciences
Research Group:	Medical Physiology
Research Field:	Systems Physiology
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Other Health
Objective Field:	Health not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Ye, JM (Associate Professor Jiming Ye)
UTAS Author:	Steen, JT (Dr John Steen)
UTAS Author:	Matthias, A (Miss Anita Matthias)
UTAS Author:	Colquhoun, EQ (Dr Eric Colquhoun)
UTAS Author:	Clark, MG (Professor Michael Clark)
ID Code:	13759
Year Published:	1998
Web of Science® Times Cited:	3
Deposited By:	Biochemistry
Deposited On:	1998-08-01
Last Modified:	2011-08-08
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