Sympatho-adrenal response to hypoglycaemia in infants

Abstract

The response of the sympathoadrenal system to hypoglycaemia of different etiology was studied in seven infants, aged 10-189 days. Five infants had hyperinsulinism secondary to nesidioblastosis or to a beta-cell adenoma of the pancreas, one infant had neonatal sepsis due to staphylococcal infection and one infant congenital growth hormone (HGH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) deficiency. In babies with hyperinsulinism, plasma noradrenaline increased from 0.29 +/- 0.03 to 0.61 +/- 0.09 ng/ml (P less than 0.01), whereas adrenaline increased only in three, but did not change in two babies. Increases in heart rate and blood pressure paralleled these changes. In hypoglycaemia due to congenital sepsis, noradrenaline increased from 0.39 to 1.64 ng/ml and adrenaline from 0.05 to 0.86 ng/ml. This was associated with marked haemodynamic changes. In congenital HGH and ACTH deficiency, the low basal plasma levels of noradrenaline (0.12 ng/ml) and adrenaline (0.01 ng/ml) remained unchanged in response to hypoglycaemia. Heart rate and blood pressure were unaffected. The sympathoadrenal system was activated by hypoglycaemia in all infants except in congenital HGH and ACTH deficiency. In contrast to adults, noradrenaline was the preferentially released catecholamine, suggesting an involvement of noradrenaline in glucose counter regulation in infancy.