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Hypoglycemic symptom variation is related to epinephrine and not peripheral muscle sympathetic nerve response.

Hypoglycemic unawareness may be due to diminished adrenal and/or peripheral sympathochromaffin responses to hypoglycemia. To determine whether hypoglycemic symptom awareness is more closely related to adrenal or nonadrenal sympathetic activity, we studied the relationship between symptoms and the epinephrine, norepinephrine, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) responses to hypoglycemia in ten IDDM and ten control subjects. MSNA was measured continuously using microneurography during hyperinsulinemic (720 pmol m-2 min-1), glucose clamp with 60 min of euglycemia, 30 min of hypoglycemia, and 30 min of recovery. Subjects were asked to rate a series of symptoms every 10 min during the last 30 min of each period and were unaware of their plasma glucose concentration. MSNA increased significantly in both groups during insulin clamp (p < 0.05) and further increased during hypoglycemia (p < 0.01). Both epinephrine and norepinephrine levels significantly increased during hypoglycemia (p < 0.02). The increase in adrenergic symptom responses during hypoglycemia positively correlated with epinephrine (r = 0.75, p < 0.01), but not with MSNA in the control subjects. A similar near significant relationship for epinephrine was seen in IDDM subjects (r = 0.65, p = 0.056). No significant predictors were found for neuroglycopenic or cholinergic symptoms. Thus, the variation in hypoglycemic symptoms is not related to the MSNA response to hypoglycemia. Adrenergic symptom variation is due to differences in adrenal epinephrine secretion.

Adult↗

Lack of interaction between fluvastatin and oral hypoglycemic agents in healthy subjects and in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Human drug interaction studies in vivo are conducted when in vitro and/or animal interactions suggest clinical relevance. Studies in vitro have indicated that the new, entirely synthetic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor fluvastatin affects the metabolism of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac and the oral hypoglycemic tolbutamide. Diclofenac and tolbutamide are both model substrates of the CYP2C isozymes, suggesting that this enzyme could be involved in the underlying mechanism of interaction. The concomitant use of lipid-lowering drugs with oral hypoglycemic agents has been recommended in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Therefore, 2 studies were initiated to explore potential pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions between fluvastatin, simvastatin, or placebo and the oral hypoglycemic agents tolbutamide (study I) and glyburide (study II), each in 16 healthy subjects. These compounds were selected because of a demonstrated in vitro interaction with tolbutamide and widespread clinical use of glyburide. A further study (study III) was conducted to investigate the potential pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions between fluvastatin and glyburide under therapeutic conditions in 32 patients with NIDDM. Single and multiple coadministration of fluvastatin 40 mg or simvastatin 20 mg increased the mean maximum plasma concentration and area under the concentration-time curve of glyburide by about 20%. The pharmacokinetics of tolbutamide were influenced to only a minor extent. Fluvastatin concentration-time profiles were unaffected by tolbutamide or glyburide coadministration. However, the pharmacokinetic interactions between fluvastatin or simvastatin and tolbutamide and glyburide were not associated with clinically relevant changes in blood glucose and insulin concentrations and, therefore, are not considered to be relevant in therapeutic practice.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Administration, Oral↗

Protein ubiquitination in rat brain following hypoglycemic coma.

Hypoglycemic coma of 30 min duration selectively damages CA1 pyramidal neurons and the crest of dentate gyrus (DG) granule cells in hippocampus. Here, we show by high-resolution confocal microscopy and biochemical analysis that 30 min of hypoglycemic coma induces the ubiquitination and aggregation of several proteins in rat brain tissues. Protein ubiquitination and aggregation occurred in the CA1 and DG regions as early as the end of 30 min of hypoglycemic coma and lasted until neuronal death in the late recovery period after hypoglycemia. In comparison, the neurons surviving hypoglycemia were less affected. On western blots, ubiquitinated proteins (ubi-proteins) were present mainly in Triton-insoluble pellets, indicating that they are irreversibly aggregated. We conclude that proteins are ubiquitinated and aggregated in neurons after hypoglycemia prior to their death. We hypothesize that protein ubiquitination and aggregation may contribute to neuronal damage after hypoglycemia.

Animals↗

Dextrose is absorbed by rectum in hypoglycemic rats.

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of the rectal administration of dextrose in raising the serum glucose in a hypoglycemic rat model. A randomized, prospective, controlled experimental study was performed using 18-h fasted, acutely anesthetized Harlan Sprague-Dawley rats made hypoglycemic by the intravenous infusion of insulin at 3 U/kg/h for 2 h. At 1 h into the infusion, study rats received 1, 2, or 3 g/kg of 50% dextrose solution infused into the rectum using a balloon tipped catheter. Control animals received an equivolume, equi-osmolar (as compared to the 3 g/kg dose) amount of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-400 by rectum. Blood glucose (BG) measurements were made using blood obtained from the portal vein and a femoral artery. Intravenous insulin administered at 3 U/kg/h consistently produced BG levels 60% of baseline at 60 min and 80% of baseline at 120 min. BG levels in portal and arterial circulation increased after rectal dextrose. In general, portal venous values were greater than arterial after rectal dextrose. The greatest increase was seen 30 min after dextrose by rectum in animals receiving 3 g/kg. A 50% dextrose administered by rectum in hypoglycemic rats is absorbed in quantities sufficient to raise BG in the arterial and portal circulation.

Administration, Rectal↗

Is neuronal injury caused by hypoglycemic coma of the necrotic or apoptotic type?

In this study, we explored if a 30 minute period of hypoglycemic coma yields damage which shows some features associated with apoptosis. To that end, we induced insulin-hypoglycemic coma of 30 min duration, and studied brain tissues after the coma period, and after recovery period of 30 min, 3 h, and 6 h. Histopathological data confirmed neuronal damage in all of the vulnerable neuronal populations. Release of cytochrome c (cyt c), assessed by Western Blot, was observed in the neocortex and caudoputamen after 3 and 6 h of recovery. In these regions, the caspase-like activity increased above control after 6 h of recovery. By laser-scanning confocal microscopy, a clear expression of Bax was observed after 30 min of coma in the superficial layers of the neocortex, reaching a peak after 30 min of recovery. Punctuate immunolabeling surrounding nuclei in soma and dendrites in cortical pyramidal neurons likely represents mitochondria, which suggests that Bax protein assembled at the surface of mitochondria in vulnerable neocortical neurons. It is concluded that although previous morphological data have suggested that cells die by necrosis, neuronal damage after hypoglycemic coma shows some features of apoptosis.

Animals↗

Appropriateness of leaving emergency medical service treated hypoglycemic patients at home: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Hypoglycemic patients treated by the emergency medical service (EMS) system are commonly left home. The criteria for leaving hypoglycemic patients at home and the appropriateness of the procedure remains, however, unvalidated. The present retrospective article addresses these questions. METHODS: The Copenhagen physician-based mobile intensive care unit (MICU) responds to emergency calls in a two-tier rendezvous system. Its prehospital data from 1995 to 1998 were retrospectively incorporated into a clinical database and cross-referenced with clinical information from three Danish national registries, enabling identification of criteria for transportation of the patients to the hospital, and a detailed 72-h follow up on patients left at home. RESULTS: The MICU treated 1148 hypoglycemic patients within the period, of which 84% were released at home. Treatment or no treatment before arrival of the MICU and level of consciousness following MICU treatment, were found to be strong predictors of a need for transportation to hospital; although other factors were implicated. Within the 72-h following MICU treatment less than 8% of the patients left at home needed secondary MICU or hospital treatment because of glucose regulatory problems, and less than 5% experienced secondary hypoglycemia. Less than 1% was admitted to hospital beds with recurrent hypoglycemia within 24 h. Poor compliance with the diabetic treatment instructions often appeared to be involved in cases of recurrent hypoglycemia. A delay in admission was not to blame for a serious secondary patient course in any of the cases. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients with prehospital hypoglycemia may safely be treated and released at home in a physician-based EMS area.

Age Factors↗

Differential regulation of mRNAs for nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and neurotrophin 3 in the adult rat brain following cerebral ischemia and hypoglycemic coma.

In situ hybridization was used to study expression of mRNAs for members of the nerve growth factor (NGF) family in the rat brain after 2 and 10 min of forebrain ischemia and 1 and 30 min of insulin-induced hypoglycemic coma. Two hours after the ischemic insults, the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA was markedly increased in the granule cells of the dentate gyrus, and at 24 h it was still significantly elevated. NGF mRNA showed a pronounced increase 4 h after 2 min of ischemia but had returned to a control level at 24 h. Both 2 and 10 min of ischemia caused a clear reduction of the level of mRNA for neurotrophin 3 (NT-3) in the dentate granule cells and in regions CA2 and medial CA1 of the hippocampus 2 and 4 h after the insults. The increase of BDNF mRNA could be partially blocked by the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonist NBQX but was not influenced by the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK-801. Both NBQX and MK-801 attenuated the decrease of NT-3 mRNA after ischemia. One and 30 min of hypoglycemic coma also induced marked increases in BDNF and NGF mRNA in dentate granule cells with maximal levels at 2 h. If the changes of mRNA expression lead to alterations in the relative availability of neurotrophic factors, this could influence functional outcome and neuronal necrosis following ischemic and hypoglycemic insults.

Animals↗

Effect of a hypoglycemic episode on neuropsychological functioning in diabetic children.

The present study investigated neuropsychological functioning in school-age children at various points in time surrounding a hypoglycemic episode using 13 tasks drawn from age-appropriate, standard neuropsychological tests. The results demonstrate the effects of a hypoglycemic episode on neuropsychological functioning even after detectable physical symptoms have subsided. Although we are unable to delineate clearly their temporal course, it appears that the impact of such episodes is transient. In general, the pattern exhibited by these children who have presumably recovered from their mild hypoglycemic episode involved reduced motor performance, attention, and memory. The observed prolonged recovery time of these functions presents important implications for the child in both school and social settings.

Adolescent↗

Improved brain metabolism with fructose 1-6 diphosphate during insulin-induced hypoglycemic coma.

The effect of fructose 1-6 diphosphate (FDP) on brain metabolism and brain function was investigated in hypoglycemic rabbits. The electroencephalogram and differences in oxygen content of arterial and cerebral venous blood were used as indicators for brain metabolic activity. Hypoglycemic coma was induced and maintained for 1 hour by insulin administration. At the onset of isoelectric EEG, six rabbits were treated with FDP and five rabbits received 0.9% saline. The animals were killed by an overdose of barbiturate 60 minutes after hypoglycemic recovery with glucose. FDP-treated rabbits had lower arterial glucose concentration after 40 minutes of treatment (p less than .05) and a significantly greater difference between the oxygen content of arterial and venous blood after 40 minutes (p less than .01), and after 60 minutes (p less than .025) of FDP infusion than saline-treated rabbits. FDP-treated rabbits also had a lower cerebral glucose-oxygen index than did saline-treated rabbits (p less than .005, after 20 and 40 minutes of FDP infusion). FDP administration was followed by a return of EEG activity during hypoglycemia, whereas saline produced no such effect. After glucose infusion, EEG activity was improved in FDP-treated rabbits; in saline-treated rabbits, minimal or no EEG activity was observed. The data suggest the possibility that, at the doses given in this study, FDP is taken up and used as a metabolic substrate by the brain.

Animals↗

Alteration of cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein in rat brain after hypoglycemic coma.

In the current study, the temporal and regional changes of the transcription factor cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB) were investigated in rat brains subjected to 30 minutes of hypoglycemic coma followed by varied periods of recovery using Western blot and confocal microscopy. The total amount of CREB was not altered in any area examined after coma. The level of the phosphorylated form of CREB decreased during coma but rebounded after recovery. In the relatively resistant areas, such as the inner layers of the neocortex and the inner and outer blades of the dentate gyms (DG), phospho-CREB increased greater than the control level after 30 minutes of recovery and continued to increase up to 3 hours of recovery. In contrast, little or no increase of phospho-CREB was observed during the recovery period in the outer layers of the neocortex and at the tip of the DG, that is, regions that are selectively vulnerable to hypoglycemic insults. The current findings suggest that a neuroprotective signaling pathway may be more activated in the resistant regions than in the vulnerable ones after hypoglycemic coma.

Animals↗

Differential neuropathies in hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic diabetic rats.

We investigated the effects of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia on development of peripheral neuropathy in somatic motor and sensory nerves in type 1 diabetic BB/Wor rats. The animals were maintained in a hyper- or hypoglycemic state by treatment with insulin for 3 months. Nondiabetic siblings served as controls. Qualitative analysis of the gastrocnemius and sural nerves by light and electron microscopy revealed signs of Wallerian-type axonal degeneration and regeneration of large myelinated fibers in the hypoglycemic but not the hyperglycemic animals. Degeneration was more common in the gastrocnemius nerve than in the sural nerve. In hypoglycemic rats, myelinated fibers in both the gastrocnemius and sural nerves had significantly shorter internodes and smaller diameters. The decreased fiber diameter was related (r = -0.9) to the duration of severe hypoglycemia (</=2.5 mmol/L). Myelinated fiber occupancy was also decreased without any significant changes in fiber counts in both the gastrocnemius and sural nerves. In hyperglycemic rats, myelinated fibers in the sural nerve but not the gastrocnemius nerve had smaller diameters compared with controls. We conclude that hypoglycemia has a more severe impact on somatic motor nerves than on somatic sensory nerves, whereas hyperglycemia affects only somatic sensory nerves.

Animals↗

Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate in hypoglycemic rat brain.

Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate has been studied during hypoglycemia induced by insulin administration (40 IU/kg). No changes in content of cerebral fructose 2,6-bisphosphate were found in mild hypoglycemia, but the level of this compound was markedly decreased in hypoglycemic coma and recovered after 30 min of glucose administration. To correlate a possible modification of the concentration of the metabolite with selective regional damage occurring during hypoglycemic coma, we have analyzed four cerebral areas (cortex, striatum, cerebellum, and hippocampus). Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate concentrations were similar in the four areas analyzed; severe hypoglycemia decreased levels of the metabolite to the same extent in all the brain areas studied. The decrease in content of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate was not always accompanied by a parallel decrease in ATP levels, a result suggesting that the low levels of the bisphosphorylated metabolite during hypoglycemic coma could be due to the decreased 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase activity, mainly as a consequence of the fall in concentration of its substrate (fructose 6-phosphate). These results suggest that fructose 2,6-bisphosphate could play a permissive role in cerebral tissue, maintaining activation of 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase and glycolysis.

Animals↗

Glucocorticoids exacerbate hypoxic and hypoglycemic hippocampal injury in vitro: biochemical correlates and a role for astrocytes.

The acute secretion of glucocorticoids is critical for responding to physiological stress. Under normal circumstances these hormones do not cause acute neuronal injury, but they have been shown to enhance ischemic and seizure-induced neuronal injury in the rat brain. Using fetal rat hippocampal cultures, we asked whether hypoxic and hypoglycemic cell damage in vitro could be exacerbated by direct exposure to corticosterone (CORT). Each of these insults alone damaged neuronal cells, whereas 4-6 h of hypoxic treatment could damage age-matched astrocytes if glucose was reduced or omitted. Ischemic-like injury to both cell types could be attenuated by pretreatment with high (30 mM) glucose. Exposure to 100 nM CORT did not affect cell viability under control conditions but enhanced both hypoxic and hypoglycemic neuronal injury. In both cases, pretreatment with high glucose abolished this CORT-mediated synergy. In astrocyte cultures, CORT exacerbated both hypoxic and hypoglycemic injury and this effect was also attenuated by high-glucose pretreatment. Identical 24-h CORT treatment caused a 13% reduction in glucose uptake in astrocytes and a 38% reduction in glycogen content, without affecting the level of intracellular glucose. Thus, CORT could endanger both neurons and astrocytes in mixed hippocampal cultures and this effect emerged only under conditions of substrate depletion. The metabolic disruption in astrocytes by CORT further suggests that the ability of CORT to exacerbate neuronal injury may be due in part to impaired glial cell function.

Animals↗

Counterregulatory deficits occur within 24 h of a single hypoglycemic episode in conscious, unrestrained, chronically cannulated mice.

Hypoglycemia-induced counterregulatory failure is a dangerous complication of insulin use in diabetes mellitus. Controlled hypoglycemia studies in gene knockout models, which require the use of mice, would aid in identifying causes of defective counterregulation. Because stress can influence counterregulatory hormones and glucose homeostasis, we developed glucose clamps with remote blood sampling in conscious, unrestrained mice. Male C57BL/6 mice implanted with indwelling carotid artery and jugular vein catheters were subjected to 2 h of hyperinsulinemic glucose clamps 24 h apart, with a 6-h fast before each clamp. On day 1, blood glucose was maintained (euglycemia, 178 +/- 4 mg/dl) or decreased to 62 +/- 1 mg/dl (hypoglycemia) by insulin (20 mU x kg(-1) x min(-1)) and variable glucose infusion. Donor blood was continuously infused to replace blood sample volume. Baseline plasma epinephrine (32 +/- 8 pg/ml), corticosterone (16.1 +/- 1.8 microg/dl), and glucagon (35 +/- 3 pg/ml) were unchanged during euglycemia but increased significantly during hypoglycemia, with a glycemic threshold of approximately 80 mg/dl. On day 2, all mice underwent a hypoglycemic clamp (blood glucose, 64 +/- 1 mg/dl). Compared with mice that were euglycemic on day 1, previously hypoglycemic mice had significantly higher glucose requirements and significantly lower plasma glucagon and corticosterone (n = 6/group) on day 2. Epinephrine tended to decrease, although not significantly, in repeatedly hypoglycemic mice. Pre- and post-clamp insulin levels were similar between groups. We conclude that counterregulatory responses to acute and repeated hypoglycemia in unrestrained, chronically cannulated mice reproduce aspects of counterregulation in humans, and that repeated hypoglycemia in mice is a useful model of counterregulatory failure.

Animals↗

Hypoglycemic effects of insulin-like growth factor-1 in experimental uremia: can concomitant growth hormone administration prevent this effect?

The risk of hypoglycemia limits the clinical application of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Our studies aimed to evaluate the mode of occurrence as well as the prevention of this side effect. Acute administration (i.v. infusion) of IGF-1 in subtotal nephrectomized uremic (U), sham-operated ad libitum fed control (C) and sham-operated pair-fed control (P) rats led to hypoglycemia, though more expressed in P. Serum glucose levels decreased within 60 min after the IGF-1 administration by 40% in U, by 45% in C and by 52% in P (p < 0.05, U vs. P). Chronic administration (7 days) of 1, 4 and 8 mg/kg/day IGF-1 in U rats led to hypoglycemia in an increasing manner as the dose of IGF-1 increased. On the first day, 2 h after injection, serum glucose levels were 116.5 +/- 8.6, 110.4 +/- 12.4, 60,3 +/- 19.2 and 50.6 +/- 18.3 mg/dl, respectively (p < 0. 01). One week later, IGF-1 therapy proved to be less hypoglycemic in all the groups. On day 7, 2 h after injection the serum glucose levels were 118.9 +/- 23.8, 89.0 +/- 23.9 and 66.0 +/- 32.0, respectively (in comparison to day 1 for 4 and 8 mg/kg/day IGF-1 p < 0.05). The combined effect of 4 mg/kg/day IGF-1 and 10 IU/kg/day growth hormone (GH) was also studied in U and P animals. Two hours after the first injections of IGF-1 serum glucose levels decreased in U from 120.0 +/- 11.3 to 49.2 +/- 21.6 mg/dl, while IGF-1 plus GH decreased the glucose level from 122.0 +/- 15.5 to 81.3 +/- 24.7 mg/dl (p < 0.05 IGF-1 vs. IGF-1 + GH). The hypoglycemic effect of IGF-1 was less expressed by long-term treatment and simultaneous administration of GH overcame the glucose-lowering effect of IGF-1 (serum glucose levels on day 11 one hour after the injections: 73.7 +/- 15.3 mg/dl with IGF-1, and 111.0 +/- 7.8 mg/dl with IGF-1 + GH). Methylprednisolone (MP) did not significantly alter the former effects of IGF-1 and GH. In summary, IGF-1 leads to hypoglycemia in control and uremic rats in a dose-dependent manner. This effect becomes less expressed after prolonged administration. GH attenuates the hypoglycemic effect of IGF-1. This suggests that the combined GH and IGF-1 treatment is more effective and less dangerous in correcting uremic growth failure.

Animals↗

Specific changes in human brain after hypoglycemic injury.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Very few reports are available on serial changes in the human brain after severe hypoglycemic injury. The aim of this study was to investigate sequential neuroradiological changes in brains of patients after hypoglycemic coma compared with those after cardiac arrest previously studied with the same methods. METHODS: We repeatedly studied CT scans and MR images obtained at 1.5 T in four vegetative patients after profound hypoglycemia associated with diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: In all patients, consecutive CT scans showed symmetrical, persistent low-density lesions with transient enhancement in the caudate and lenticular nuclei and transient enhancement in the cerebral cortex 7 to 14 days after onset. Serial MR images consistently revealed symmetrical lesions of persistent hyperintensity and hypointensity on T1- and T2-weighted images, respectively, in the caudate and lenticular nuclei, cerebral cortex, substantia nigra, and/or hippocampus from 8 days to 12 months after onset. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated MR images revealed specific lesions in the bilateral basal ganglia, cerebral cortex, substantia nigra, and hippocampus, which suggests the particular vulnerability of these areas to hypoglycemia in the human brain. We speculate that the localized lesions represent tissue degeneration, including some combination of selective neuronal death, proliferation of astrocytic glial cells, paramagnetic substance deposition, and/or lipid accumulation. The absence of localized hemorrhages on MR images in hypoglycemic encephalopathy is in marked contrast to the presence of regional minor hemorrhages in postischemic-anoxic encephalopathy.

Aged↗

Lack of hypoglycemic symptoms and decreased beta-adrenergic sensitivity in insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

Plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine responses were studied in insulin-dependent diabetic patients at rest, on standing and during insulin-induced hypoglycemia. beta-Adrenergic sensitivity was evaluated by the isoproterenol sensitivity test. Five men who had adrenergic symptoms during hypoglycemia and no severe hypoglycemic accidents (coma, seizures) (group A) and five men who had repeated severe hypoglycemic accidents but lack of adrenergic symptoms of hypoglycemia (group B) were studied. The mean resting plasma epinephrine was lower in group B (147 +/- 22 pmol/L, SEM) than in group A (398 +/- 98 pmol/L, P less than 0.02). On standing plasma epinephrine increased significantly in both groups. During hypoglycemia blood glucose decreased identically in the two groups; plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine increased significantly and to the same extent in both groups; the mean maximal heart rate was significantly greater in group A than in group B. Isoproterenol sensitivity (defined as the dose of isoproterenol required to increase heart rate by 25 beats/min) was lower in group B (5.87 +/- 1.12 micrograms) than in group A (2.37 +/- 0.22 micrograms, P less than 0.01). The group B patients had significantly fewer hypoglycemic symptoms during insulin-induced hypoglycemia than did group A patients. We conclude that decreased beta-adrenergic sensitivity contributes to the lack of adrenergic symptoms of hypoglycemia in insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

Adolescent↗

Effects of glucagon-like peptide 1 on counterregulatory hormone responses, cognitive functions, and insulin secretion during hyperinsulinemic, stepped hypoglycemic clamp experiments in healthy volunteers.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and analogues are being evaluated as a new therapeutic principle for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. GLP-1 suppresses glucagon secretion, which could lead to disturbances of hypoglycemia counterregulation. This has, however, not been tested. Nine healthy volunteers with normal oral glucose tolerance received infusions of regular insulin (1 mU x kg(-1) x min(-1)) over 360 min on two occasions in the fasting state. Capillary glucose concentrations were clamped at plateaus of 4.3, 3.7, 3.0, and 2.3 mmol/liter for 90 min each (stepwise hypoglycemic clamp); on one occasion, GLP-1 (1.2 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1)) was administered i.v. (steady-state concentration, approximately 125 pmol/liter); on the other occasion, NaCl was administered as placebo. Glucagon, cortisol, GH (immunoassays), and catecholamines (radioenzymatic assay) were determined, autonomous and neuroglucopenic symptoms were assessed, and cognitive function was tested at each plateau. Insulin secretion rates were estimated by deconvolution (two-compartment model of C-peptide kinetics). At insulin concentrations of approximately 45 mU/liter, glucose infusion rates were similar with and without GLP-1 (P = 0.26). Only during the euglycemic plateau (4.3 mmol/liter), GLP-1 suppressed glucagon concentrations (4.1 +/- 0.4 vs. 6.5 +/- 0.7 pmol/liter; P = 0.012); at all hypoglycemic plateaus, glucagon increased similarly with GLP-1 or placebo, to maximum values greater than 20 pmol/liter (P = 0.97). The other counterregulatory hormones and autonomic or neuroglucopenic symptom scores increased, and cognitive functions decreased with decreasing glucose concentrations, but there were no significant differences comparing experiments with GLP-1 or placebo, except for a significant reduction of GH responses during hypoglycemia with GLP-1 (P = 0.04). GLP-1 stimulated insulin secretion only at plasma glucose concentrations of at least 4.3 mmol/liter. In conclusion, the suppression of glucagon by GLP-1 does occur at euglycemia, but not at hypoglycemic plasma glucose concentrations (< or = 3.7 mmol/liter). GLP-1 does not impair overall hypoglycemia counterregulation except for a reduction in GH responses, which is in line with other findings demonstrating pituitary actions of GLP-1. Below plasma glucose concentrations of 4.3 mmol/liter, the insulinotropic action of GLP-1 is negligible.

Adult↗