Roles of catecholamines and corticosterone during anoxia and recovery at 5 degrees C in turtles

K. M. Keiver, J. Weinberg and P. W. Hochachka Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. The roles of the catecholamines and corticosterone in glucose regulation during 28 days of submergence anoxia and air-breathing recovery at 5 degrees C in the turtle Chrysemys picta were examined. Anoxia resulted in an increase in mean plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels (from 42 and 49 to 966 and 3,826 pg/ml, respectively) and a decrease in hepatic glycogen levels. Despite the increase in plasma catecholamine levels, plasma glucose levels did not change, and the percent of the alpha form of hepatic glycogen phosphorylase was decreased compared with normoxic controls. Plasma levels of lactate increased from 1.5 to 95 mM, and corticosterone decreased during anoxia. During recovery in air, corticosterone returned to control levels within 1 day, and plasma lactate levels slowly decreased. In contrast to a previous study on anoxic turtles at 22 degrees C, at 5 degrees C the catecholamines do not stimulate hepatic glycogenolysis by increasing the level of glycogen phosphorylase alpha. The results do not support the hypothesis that corticosterone enhances lactate clearance from turtle plasma during recovery from anoxia.