Stress-induced hyperglycemia can lead to significant deterioration in glycemic control in individuals with diabetes. Previously, we have shown in normal dogs that, after intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of carbachol (a model of moderate stress), increases in both the metabolic clearance rate (MCR) of glucose and endogenous glucose production (GP) occur. Howe v e r, in hyperglycemic diabetic dogs subjected to the same stress, the MCR of glucose does not increase and glycemia therefore markedly deteriorates because of stimulation of GP. Our aims were to determine the following: 1) whether insulin-induced acute normalization of glycemia, with or without -blockade, would correct glucose clearance and prevent the hyperglycemic eff e c t of stress, and 2) whether hyperinsulinemia per se could correct these abnormalities. Stress was induced by ICV carbachol in 27 experiments in five alloxan-administered diabetic dogs subjected to the following protocols in random order: 1) basal insulin infusion (BI) to restore normoglycemia; 2) basal insulin infusion with -blockade (BI+block); 3) normoglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp with threefold elevation of insulin above basal (3 BI); and 4) normoglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp with fivefold elevation of insulin above basal ( 5 BI). The BI+block protocol fully prevented stressinduced hyperglycemia, both by increasing MCR ( MCR at peak: 0.72 ± 0.25 m l · k g -1 · min -1 vs. no change in BI, P < 0.05) and by diminishing the stressinduced increment in GP observed in BI ( GP at peak: 3.72 ± 0.09 µmol · k g -1 · min -1 for BI+block vs. 14.10 ± 0.31 µmol · k g -1 · min -1 for BI, P < 0.0001). In contrast, 3 BI and 5 BI treatments with normoglycemichyperinsulinemic clamps proportionately increased basal MCR at baseline, but paradoxically were not associated with an increase in MCR in response to stress, which induced a twofold increase in GP. Thus, in alloxan-administered diabetic dogs, stress increased GP but not MCR, despite normalization of glycemia with basal or high insulin. In contrast, -a d r e n e r g i c blockade almost completely restored the metabolic response to stress to normal and prevented marked hyperglycemia, both by limiting the rise in GP and by increasing glucose MCR. We conclude that acute normalization of glycemia with basal insulin or hyperinsulinemia does not prevent hyperglycemic effects of stress unless accompanied by -blockade, and we speculate that short-term -blockade may be a useful treatment modality under some stress conditions in patients with diabetes. Diabetes 4 9 :2 5 3-262, 2000 T he increased demand for glucose by the brain, heart, and other tissues during stress necessitates adaptive alterations in glucose metabolism. In many forms of stress, the rate of glucose production rises above the rate of glucose clearance, resulting in hyperglycemia. It is well recognized that stress induces a greater derangement in glucose regulation in patients with diabetes than in nondiabetic individuals. Consequently, in diabetes there can be an exaggerated ...