Hypoglycemia induced by interaction between clarithromycin and disopyramide.
(25/2319)
A 59-year-old man receiving hemodialysis was hospitalized due to severe hypoglycemic attack. The patient had been treated with disopyramide (50 mg/day) because of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Hypoglycemia occurred after taking clarithromycin (CAM, 600 mg/day), a macrolide antibiotic. The serum disopyramide concentration reached 8.0 micrograms/ml (23.6 microM) in the presence of CAM, while it was 1.5 micrograms/ml before the addition of CAM. A 75 g oral glucose tolerance test and daily profiles of blood glucose value showed that blood glucose levels were significantly lower in the presence of CAM and disopyramide compared to that in the absence of these drugs. The Turner index in the presence of CAM and disopyramide was significantly higher than that in the absence of these drugs, suggesting that a toxic concentration of disopyramide enhanced insulin secretion, resulting in the induction of hypoglycemic attacks, in which the inhibitory effects of CAM on the hepatic chytochrome P-450 might be involved. QT and QTc intervals were prolonged in the presence of CAM and disopyramide, but torsades de points were not observed in this patient receiving nicorandil (15 mg/day). Thus, it should be taken into account that life-threatening hypoglycemia may result from the interaction between clarithromycin and disopyramide. (+info)
Effect of a cachectic factor on carbohydrate metabolism and attenuation by eicosapentaenoic acid.
(26/2319)
The effect of a proteolysis-inducing factor (PIF), produced by cachexia-inducing tumours on glucose utilization by different tissues and the effect of pretreatment with the polyunsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), has been determined using the 2-deoxyglucose tracer technique. Mice receiving PIF showed a profound depression of body weight (2.3 g) over a 24-h period, which was completely abolished by pretreatment with a monoclonal antibody to PIF or by 3 days pretreatment with EPA at 500 mg kg(-1). Animals receiving PIF exhibited a marked hypoglycaemia, which was effectively reversed by both antibody and EPA pretreatment. There was an increase in glucose utilization by brain, heart and brown fat, but a decrease by kidney, white fat, diaphragm and gastrocnemius muscle after administration of PIF. Changes in organ glucose consumption were attenuated by either monoclonal antibody, EPA, or both. There was a decrease in 2-deoxyglucose uptake by C2C12 myoblasts in vitro, which was attenuated by EPA. This suggests a direct effect of PIF on glucose uptake by skeletal muscle. These results suggest that in addition to a direct catabolic effect on skeletal muscle PIF has a profound effect on glucose utilization during cachexia. (+info)
Blood glucose awareness training and epinephrine responses to hypoglycemia during intensive treatment in type 1 diabetes.
(27/2319)
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of blood glucose awareness training (BGAT) on epinephrine and symptom responses to hypoglycemia in patients with type 1 diabetes enrolled in an intensive diabetes treatment (IDT) program. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 47 subjects with uncomplicated diabetes (duration 9 +/- 3 years: HbA1c 9.0 +/- 1.2%; reference range 4-6%) enrolled in a 4-month outpatient IDT program were randomized to classes in BGAT (n = 25) (BGAT group) or cholesterol awareness (n = 22) (control group). Subjects underwent stepped hypoglycemic clamp studies before and at completion of IDT. Plasma glucose was lowered from 6.7 mmol/l (baseline) to 4.4, 3.9, 3.3, 2.8, and 2.2 mmol/l over 190 min. Symptoms, counterregulatory hormones, and ability of the subject to estimate their glucose level were assessed at each plateau. At home, subjects used a handheld computer to first estimate and then measure and record blood glucose levels for 70 trials over a 4-week period immediately before IDT and again immediately following the educational intervention. RESULTS: HbA1c decreased in both BGAT group (9.1 +/- 1.4 to 7.9 +/- 1.1%; P < 0.001) and control group (9.0 +/- 1.1 to 7.8 +/- 0.8%; P < 0.001) (NS between groups). Frequency of hypoglycemia (< 3.9 mmol/l) increased in both groups, from 0.45 +/- 0.06 to 0.69 +/- 0.07 episodes per day (P < 0.001) in the BGAT group and from 0.50 +/- 0.08 to 0.68 +/- 0.06 episodes per day (P < 0.05) in the control group NS between groups). Epinephrine responses after IDT were greater in the BGAT group (repeated measure analysis of variance [ANOVA], F = 3.5, P < 0.05). A separate analysis of subjects n = 26) most at risk for hypoglycemia (HbA1c after IDT < 7.8% or an HbA1c improvement of > 2 percentage points) showed that frequency of hypoglycemia increased in both the groups: from 0.50 +/- 0.09 to 0.80 +/- 0.11 episodes per day (P < 0.01) in the BGAT group (n = 14) and from 0.43 +/- 0.11 to 0.75 +/- 0.07 episodes per day (P < 0.05) in the control group (n = 12) (NS between groups). However, the epinephrine response in control subjects decreased with IDT while the response in the BGAT subjects was preserved (repeated measure ANOVA, F = 4.4, P < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: BGAT is a useful intervention to decrease blunting of counterregulatory responses associated with improved glycemic control and may modify the severity of hypoglycemia associated with improved glycemic control in type 1 diabetes. (+info)
Counterregulation during spontaneous nocturnal hypoglycemia in prepubertal children with type 1 diabetes.
(28/2319)
OBJECTIVE: To examine counterregulatory responses during spontaneous nocturnal hypoglycemia in prepubertal children with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 29 prepubertal patients with type 1 diabetes underwent two overnight profiles. Data were analyzed from 16 children (median [range] 8.7 [5.9-12.9] years of age) with a night of hypoglycemia and a nonhypoglycemic night. Children hypoglycemic (< 3.5 mmol/l) on night 1 were given 25% extra carbohydrate as uncooked cornstarch with their usual evening snack on night 2 to avoid hypoglycemia. Glucose, growth hormone, and cortisol were measured every 15 min, catecholamines every 30 min, and glucagon, pancreatic polypeptide, insulin, and ketones every 60 min. A group of 15 healthy control subjects, aged 9.5 (5.6-12.1) years, underwent one overnight profile. RESULTS: Median duration of hypoglycemia was 225 (30-630) min, and glucose nadir was 2.0 (1.2-3.3) mmol/l. Insulin levels were not different on the two nights (P = 0.9, analysis of variance), but children with diabetes had higher insulin levels than normal control subjects between 2300 and 0300, maximal at 0200 (mean +/- SEM 57.4 +/- 5.7 vs. 31.6 +/- 5.0 pmol/l, P = 0.002). Peak epinephrine was higher on the night of hypoglycemia (0.98 [0.52-2.09] nmol/l) versus nonhypoglycemia (0.32 [0.21-0.62] nmol/l), P = 0.001, but norepinephrine (1.29 [1.07-2.64] vs. 1.26 [1.04-1.88] nmol/l, P = 0.5), glucagon (93 [64.2-125.6] vs. 100.5 [54.6-158] ng/l, P = 0.6), pancreatic polypeptide (410.2 [191-643.2] vs. 270.8 [158.2-777.8] ng/l, P = 0.5), and cortisol (513 [300-679] vs. 475 [235-739] nmol/l, P = 0.6) were not different. Glucose threshold for epinephrine release was very low, 1.9 +/- 0.2 mmol/l. There was a short-lived rise in growth hormone from 75-105 min after onset of hypoglycemia, maximal at 90 min (7.8 +/- 1.2 vs. 3.5 +/- 0.9 ng/ml, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The prolonged nature of nocturnal hypoglycemic episodes may be explained in part by defective counterregulation. The risk of nocturnal hypoglycemia needs to be reduced before intensification of insulin therapy can be contemplated in this age-group. (+info)
Hypoglycemia per se stimulates sympathetic neural as well as adrenomedullary activity, but, unlike the adrenomedullary response, the forearm sympathetic neural response is not reduced after recent hypoglycemia.
(29/2319)
We tested the hypotheses that 1) hypoglycemia per se stimulates the sympathetic neural as well as the adrenomedullary component of the sympathochromaffin system, and 2) sympathetic neural responses to hypoglycemia, like adrenomedullary responses, are reduced after recent hypoglycemia. To this end, we studied 10 healthy young adults on 2 consecutive days on two separate occasions, on one occasion with euglycemia (5.0 mmol/l) and on the other occasion with hypoglycemia (2.8 mmol/l) from 1000 to 1200 and 1400 to 1600 on day 1 of each occasion. On day 2 of each occasion, plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine (NE) concentrations and rates of systemic NE spillover (SNESO) and forearm NE spillover (FNESO) were measured during hyperinsulinemic (12.0 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1)) euglycemia (5.0 mmol/l) and hypoglycemia (2.8 mmol/l). Compared with values during euglycemia, plasma epinephrine and NE and rates of SNESO and FNESO all increased during hypoglycemia (P < 0.01). After day 1 hypoglycemia, there were reductions during hypoglycemia on day 2 in plasma epinephrine (2,050 +/- 500 vs. 2,960 +/- 400 pmol/l; P < 0.02), plasma NE (1.35 +/- 0.16 vs. 1.92 +/- 0.20 nmol/l; P < 0.01), and SNESO rates (5.13 +/- 0.84 vs. 6.87 +/- 0.81 nmol/min; P < 0.02). However, FNESO rates were unaltered (1.16 +/- 0.25 vs. 1.27 +/- 0.17 pmol x min(-1) x 100 ml tissue(-1). Thus we conclude that 1) hypoglycemia per se stimulates both the sympathetic neural and adrenomedullary components of the sympathochromaffin system and 2) adrenomedullary, but not forearm sympathetic neural, responses to hypoglycemia are reduced after recent hypoglycemia. The extent to which the lower plasma NE levels and reduced SNESO responses to hypoglycemia after day 1 hypoglycemia reflect reduced NE release from the adrenal medullae, sympathetic nerves other than those in the forearm, or both cannot be determined from these data. (+info)
Remission of insulin autoimmune syndrome in a patient with Grave's disease by treatment with methimazole.
(30/2319)
The patient, a 24-year-old man, had suffered from hunger, sweating, tachycardia and palpitation for three years. He was diagnosed as having Graves' disease (GD) and treated with methimazole (MMI) for 3 months. He noted that palpitation and perspiration seemed to particularly occur when he was hungry, and thus he was examined to determine whether these symptoms were caused by hypoglycemia. As a markedly elevated immunoreactive insulin level and the presence of insulin antibody in serum were found, he was diagnosed as having insulin autoimmune syndrome (IAS). HLA typing revealed the patient to be positive for group Bw62/Cw4/DR4, which is reportedly a specific HLA type in MMI-treated euthyoroid GD patients with IAS. In spite of the continuation of MMI treatment, the % binding of IRI decreased and the hypoglycemic episode disappeared. In contrast to the previously reported MMI induced IAS in GD cases, MMI is unlikely to have exacerbated IAS in the present case, although his HLA combination is identical to that of the previous cases. (+info)
Profound postanesthetic hypoglycemia attributable to glucocorticoid deficiency in 2 dogs.
(31/2319)
Glucocorticoid deficiency was diagnosed as the cause of severe postanesthetic hypoglycemia in 2 dogs. Prior signs of systemic illness were not described in either dog; however, preoperative hematologic findings were consistent with glucocorticoid deficiency. Fasting hypoglycemia is a possible complication of chronic adrenal insufficiency primarily because of impaired gluconeogenesis. (+info)
Anorexia nervosa with severe liver dysfunction and subsequent critical complications.
(32/2319)
A twenty-year-old woman with anorexia nervosa (body mass index=11) suffered from severe liver dysfunction (aspartate aminotransferase 5,000 IU/l, alanine aminotransferase 3,980 IU/l, prothrombin time 32%), hypoglycemia (serum glucose 27 mg/dl), and pancreatic dysfunction (amylase 820 IU/l, lipase 558 IU/l). She fell into a depressive state with irritability, which was not improved by intravenous glucose. Despite treatment with plasmapheresis for the liver dysfunction, she subsequently developed pulmonary edema, acute renal failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Hemodialysis, mechanical ventilation and drug therapy including prednisolone, prostaglandin E1, and branched-chain amino acid, improved her critical condition. In this case, malnutrition may have been the cause for the liver dysfunction and subsequent complications. (+info)