Noradrenaline, propranolol and adrenochrome interactions with the dynamic of haemolymph lipids in worker honeybees

Injection of worker honeybees with noradrenaline, in vivo, depresses the haemolymph levels of phospholipid, steroid and triacylglycerols. The major fatty acids fraction shows large amplitude variations which seem to be dependent on several distinct factors. Adrenochrome exhibits a tendency to induce global hypoglycemic effects without evident correlation with the other hormones, whereas propranolol counteracts the effects of noradrenaline, particularly for phospholipids, steroids and diacylglycerols. The results suggest that the major lipoproteic complex is partly under the control of low specificity adrenoceptors.