The acute effect of ethanol on counterregulatory response and recovery from insulin-induced hypoglycemia

We examined the acute effect of moderate ethanol administration (oral and iv) on the counterregulatory response and recovery from insulin-induced hypoglycemia after an overnight fast in eight normal men, aged 26 +/- 6 yr. While ethanol increased fasting plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations, after insulin administration plasma glucose concentrations fell to similar nadirs in the ethanol [2.5 +/- 0.2 (+/- SE) mmol/L] and control studies (2.3 +/- 0.1 mmol/L). The hypoglycemia-induced serum GH, cortisol, and glucagon responses were all reduced (P less than 0.05-0.005) during the ethanol study, while the rises in plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations were similar in both studies. After discontinuation of the insulin infusions, the initial recovery from hypoglycemia occurred sooner in the presence than in the absence of ethanol. These data indicate that ethanol facilitates the recovery from insulin-induced hypoglycemia in the face of reduced counterregulatory hormones responses. Thus, other mechanisms, such as ethanol-induced insulin resistance, may be important in facilitating the recovery from insulin-induced hypoglycemia during ethanol administration.