Modification of fat and carbohydrate metabolism by neurohypophyseal hormones. I. Effect of lysine-vasopressin on non-esterified fatty acid, glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol levels in the serum of female rats.

The effect of the subcutaneous administration of lysine-vasopressin, in doses of 0.625, 1.25, 2.5 and 5 I.U./kg on serum non-esterified fatty acid, triglyceride, cholesterol and glucose levels in fed and fasting female rats was determined. All the doses, in both fed and fasting animals, caused a marked drop in non-esterified fatty acid levels about 15 min after starting the experiment. The only exceptions were fed females given doses 2.5 and 5 I.U./kg, in which non-esterified fatty acid levels rose. Apart from animals given the smallest dose (0.625 I.U./kg), glucose levels rose during the same interval. In the case of triglyceride levels, a dose of 0.625 I.U./kg produced a decrease and the larger doses (1.25, 2.5 and 5 I.U./kg) an increase in fed females. In fasting animals, triglyceride levels fell (statistically non-significantly) after doses of 0.625, 1.25 and 5 I.U./kg, and rose after 2.5 I.U./kg. The cholesterol level showed a temporary tendency to fall in most of the experiments.