Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 25, 2026

A Piglet Model of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy
10:30

A Piglet Model of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

Published on: May 16, 2015

Neonatal hypoglycaemia: aetiologies

Pascale de Lonlay1, Irina Giurgea, Guy Touati

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Hôpital Necker -- Enfants Malades, 149 rue de Sèvres, 75743 Paris cedex 15, France. pascale.delonlay@nck.ap-hop-paris.fr

Seminars in Neonatology : SN
|March 12, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Understanding blood glucose regulation is key to diagnosing hypoglycemia. This involves recognizing how the body manages glucose during eating and fasting, identifying potential causes like hyperinsulinism or impaired gluconeogenesis.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology and Metabolism
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Maintaining blood glucose homeostasis between 2.5-7.5 mmol/l is crucial.
  • Hypoglycemia can occur post-eating (hyperinsulinism) or during fasting (impaired gluconeogenesis/fatty acid disorders).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To outline the diagnostic approach to hypoglycemia based on homeostatic mechanisms.
  • To identify various causes of hypoglycemia, including hormonal deficiencies and newly recognized disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of glucose homeostasis during eating and fasting states.
  • Correlation of hypoglycemia timing with underlying metabolic pathways.

Main Results:

  • Post-meal hypoglycemia suggests hyperinsulinism.
  • Fasting hypoglycemia indicates issues with gluconeogenesis or fatty acid metabolism.
  • Hormonal deficiencies (Growth Hormone, Glucagon, Cortisol, IGF-1) can contribute to hypoglycemia.

Conclusions:

  • Diagnosis of hypoglycemia relies on understanding glucose metabolism during different physiological states.
  • Recent discoveries include glucose transporter, respiratory chain, and glycosylation disorders as causes of hypoglycemia.

More Related Videos

Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats07:36

Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats

Published on: November 20, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Pathophysiology of Diabetes01:20

Pathophysiology of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. The four categories of diabetes are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, other specific types of diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility, suggesting a...
Hypoglycemia and Glucagon01:15

Hypoglycemia and Glucagon

Without prolonged fasting, healthy individuals maintain blood glucose levels above 3.5 mM due to a well-adapted neuroendocrine counterregulatory system that effectively prevents acute hypoglycemia, a potentially life-threatening condition. The primary clinical scenarios for hypoglycemia encompass diabetes treatment, inappropriate production of endogenous insulin or insulin-like substances by tumors, and the use of glucose-lowering agents in non-diabetic individuals. Notably, hypoglycemia in the...
Hypoglycemia01:26

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is a blood glucose level below 70 mg/dL. It commonly occurs in individuals using insulin or insulin-secreting drugs, but may also arise in non-diabetic conditions. People with type 1 diabetes are at the highest risk because they depend on exogenous insulin. People with type 2 diabetes are also at risk, especially when treated with insulin or medications such as sulfonylureas, which increase insulin release regardless of blood glucose levels. It develops when insulin levels exceed...
Diabetes Mellitus: Introduction01:26

Diabetes Mellitus: Introduction

Diabetes mellitus consists of chronic metabolic disorders characterized by persistent hyperglycemia. This elevated blood glucose results from defects in insulin secretion, impaired insulin action, or both. Insulin, produced by pancreatic β-cells, is essential for maintaining glucose homeostasis by facilitating cellular glucose uptake for energy or storage. Disruptions in insulin production or function lead to glucose accumulation in the bloodstream, causing the clinical features and long-term...
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational01:22

Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational

Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, arises when the insulin receptors on cells lose responsiveness to insulin, diminishing the cell's capacity to take up glucose, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. To receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a series of blood glucose tests are necessary to assess whether the blood glucose falls within normal parameters. If the result is out of the normal range, a patient may be diagnosed as prediabetic or diabetic, depending on the...
Inborn Errors of Metabolism01:20

Inborn Errors of Metabolism

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a protein metabolism disorder characterized by high blood levels of the amino acid phenylalanine. This results from a mutation in the gene responsible for phenylalanine hydroxylase, an enzyme that converts phenylalanine into tyrosine. When this enzyme is deficient, phenylalanine builds up in the blood, leading to symptoms such as vomiting, rashes, seizures, growth deficiency, and severe mental retardation. An early diagnosis and a diet restricting phenylalanine intake...