title: Changes in the anterior chamber of the eye during acute hypoglycaemia in humans.
abstract: 1. The changes in the volume and depth of the anterior chamber of the eye during acute insulin-induced hypoglycaemia were examined in nine healthy non-diabetic subjects (aged 23-31 years). The dimensions of the anterior chamber of the eye were measured by a photogrammetric technique, with Polaroid photographs taken of the lower half of the mid-sagittal plane of the eye at an angle of 55 degrees at a magnification of x16. Photographs were taken before and at regular intervals after the induction of acute hypoglycaemia using an infusion of unmodified (soluble) insulin at 2.5 m-units min-1 kg-1. Plasma adrenaline was measured regularly throughout the study. 2. Plasma glucose fell from 4.5 +/- 0.2 mmol/l (mean +/- SEM) to a nadir of 1.0 +/- 0.1 mmol/l (P < 0.01), which coincided with the onset of the acute autonomic reaction. Plasma adrenaline rose from 0.3 +/- 0.1 nmol/l to a peak of 3.2 +/- 0.6 nmol/l (P < 0.01) at 15 min after the autonomic reaction. 3. The volume of the anterior chamber decreased by 8.2% from 284.7 +/- 21.5 microliters at baseline to 264.5 +/- 17.0 microliters (P < 0.01) at the onset of the autonomic reaction. No significant alteration in axial anterior chamber depth was evident, but peripheral anterior depth decreased from 2.25 +/- 0.20 mm at baseline to 2.07 +/- 0.14 mm (P < 0.05) at the onset of the autonomic response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Diabetes, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, U.K.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hepburn
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pell
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McIver
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Frier
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000473:pathology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004837:Epinephrine