Effects of insulin hypoglycaemia in the sheep on jugular haematocrit and plasma corticosteroid concentrations

Insulin hypoglycaemia, by acting as a stressor, caused an increase in plasma corticosteroid concentration in sheep. It did not increase jugular haematocrit in splenectomized sheep, but caused an increase, presumably by splenic contraction, in the following sheep: two control, one with one adrenal cortex as its only adrenal tissue, two with denervated spleens, and two splanchnicotomized animals. These preparations showed that insulin hypoglycaemia can cause a splenic contraction in the absence of an increase in plasma adrenaline and after splenic extrinsic denervation.