Stress hormones can alter metabolic functions in adipose tissue and liver, as well as the sensitivity of rat white adipocytes and rat atrial responses to beta-adrenergic agonists. In this study, we examined the effects of three daily footshock stress sessions on the plasma corticosterone, glucose, glycerol and triacylglycerol levels of fed, conscious male rats, and on the plasma glucose, glycerol and triacylglycerol levels of the same rats following iv infusions of beta-adrenergic agonists (isoproterenol: 0.4 nmol kg-1 min-1, noradrenaline: 5.0 microg kg-1 day-1, and BRL 37344 ([+/-]-[4-(2-[(2-[3-chlorophenyl]-2-hydroxyethyl)amino]propyl)phenoxy]acetic acid), a selective beta3-adrenoceptor agonist: 0.4 nmol kg-1 min-1). Plasma corticosterone levels increased significantly after each stress session, while triacylglycerol levels increased after the first session and glucose increased after the second and third sessions. Glycerol levels were unaltered after stress. These results suggest that repeated footshock stress may induce a metabolic shift from triacylglycerol biosynthesis to glucose release by hepatic tissue, with glycerol serving as one of the substrates in both pathways. Stressed rats were more sensitive to infusion of noradrenaline plus prazosin and to infusion of isoproterenol, with elevated plasma glucose, glycerol and triacylglycerol levels. The higher sensitivity of stressed rats to isoproterenol and noradrenaline was probably related to the permissive effect of plasma corticosterone. Only BRL 37344 increased plasma glycerol levels in stressed rats, probably because beta3-adrenoceptors are not involved in hepatic triacylglycerol synthesis, thus allowing glycerol to accumulate in plasma.