Symptoms of insulin-induced hypoglycemia in normal subjects.
In order to better characterize the psychobiology of hypoglycemic symptom production, six normal subjects had physiological/biochemical and symptom ratings at 20, 30 and 40 min after six different doses of intravenous regular insulin (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 units, in a Latin-square design); subjects also indicated after each dose whether they believed they had received an active or an inactive substance. Choice response switched from inactive to active substance when plasma glucose fell to the mid to high 50s mg/dl (i.e. whole blood glucose of approximately 50), and plasma epinephrine levels rose to between 100 and 200 pg/ml. Adrenergic symptoms and 'weakness' were most strongly associated with choice; other symptom variables had weaker associations. Symptoms were more strongly correlated with epinephrine than glucose levels, but anxiety was not strongly correlated with the epinephrine increases.
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D004837:Epinephrine