Glucagon release and glucose counter-regulation during hypoglycaemia. Modifying effect of the previous glucose level

The importance of a short-term elevation of the ambient glucose level for the release of counter-regulatory hormones and the glucose recovery rate during a subsequent hypoglycaemia was studied in healthy subjects. Hypoglycaemia was induced with insulin infusion after a previous 80 min of euglycaemic (E: 5 mmol/l) or hyperglycaemic (H: 15 mmol/l) glucose clamp. By infusing insulin during the euglycaemic clamp similar levels were reached during both glucose clamps. The same level of hypoglycaemia was reached in both studies (E: 1.5 +/- 0.1, H: 1.5 +/- 0.2 mmol/l) and the insulin levels were also similar both at glucose nadir and during the recovery period. In spite of this, both the mean glucagon levels at nadir at the mean individual maximal increase were significantly lower after the hyperglycaemic clamp (E: 101 +/- 25, H: 54 +/- 7 pg/ml, P less than 0.05). The glucose recovery rate was also significantly impaired following the hyperglycaemic clamp. The results show that a short-term elevation of the ambient glucose level impairs the glucagon release during a subsequent hypoglycaemia. This finding may be of importance for the development of the blunted glucagon release in response to low glucose levels in diabetics.