Abstract
Insulin‐induced hypoglycaemia in humans is associated with the rapid mobilization of leucocytes in peripheral blood. The aim of the present study was to determine whether neutrophil activation, manifested in plasma by neutrophil elastase concentration, occurs in response to insulin‐induced hypoglycaemia. Acute hypoglycaemia (mean blood glucose 1.3 ± 0.2 mmol I−1; mean ± SD) was induced with intravenous insulin in 15 normal human subjects, and provoked an increase in the neutrophil count from 3.4 (range 1.9‐6.5) to 10.7 (9.4–16.3) × 109 I−1 (p<0.001), and in the total leucocyte counts from 5.7 (4.1–8.1) to 12.8 (11.3–18.6) × 109 I−1 (p<0.001), with associated elevations in plasma neutrophil elastase concentration from 21 (12–34) to 29 (14–70) μ‐g I−1 (p<0.05), and in total neutrophil elastase concentration from 5.90 (3.13‐8.20) to 25.20 (23.00–52.00) mg I−1 (p<0.001). As neutrophil elastase is implicated in the development of vascular disease, this rise in response to hypoglycaemia may be of pathological importance in insulin‐treated diabetic patients. 1990 Diabetes UK
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 506-509 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Diabetic Medicine |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jul 1990 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Hypoglycaemia
- Leucocytes
- Neutrophils
- Plasma neutrophil elastase
- Total neutrophil elastase
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Internal Medicine
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
- Endocrinology