Growth hormone, vasopressin, cortisol, and catecholamine responses to insulin hypoglycemia in alcoholics

The hormonal responses to insulin-induced hypoglycemia were studied in 15 abstinent alcoholics with varying degrees of central and peripheral nerve damage and in six normal controls. Blood samples were taken at intervals after the injection of soluble insulin (0.1 U/kg of body weight). Growth hormone responses were significantly depressed (p less than 0.05) in nine alcoholics with severe central nerve damage (Korsakoff's psychosis) as compared to other alcoholic subjects. The alcoholic subjects with Korsakoff's psychosis also showed significant depression (p less than 0.01) of glucose recovery from hypoglycemia as compared with controls. However, responses of vasopressin, cortisol, and catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine) were generally normal in the Korsakoff patients. Our results do not support previous suggestions that impairment of memory in alcoholism may be related to altered vasopressin secretion, even though the reduced growth hormone secretion in brain-damaged alcoholics does indicate some hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction.