Hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia, and hyperglucagonemia in acute water intoxication

When acute (four-hour) hyponatremia with clinical signs of water intoxication was produced in normal weanling mice by the use of hypotonic glucose or deionized water, there was a two-to-fourfold increase in plasma glucose concentration. Concomitantly, concentrations of plasma insulin fell 63 to 68 per cent, whereas plasma glucagon increased to 262 per cent of control. The findings are compatible with stress-induced catecholamine release.