Diabetes 52:2198-2204, 2003
© 2003 by the American Diabetes Association, Inc.
Cortisol Acts Through Central Mechanisms to Blunt Counterregulatory Responses to Hypoglycemia in Conscious Rats
Darleen A. Sandoval, ,
Ling Ping,
Anthony Ray Neill,
Sachiko Morrey, and
Stephen N. Davis
From the Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Nashville Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
Physiological levels of cortisol have been found to blunt neuroendocrine and metabolic responses to subsequent hypoglycemia in humans. The aim of this study was to determine whether cortisol acts directly on the brain to elicit this effect. A total of 41 conscious unrestrained Sprague-Dawley rats were studied during 2-day experiments. Day 1 consisted of two episodes of clamped 2-h hyperinsulinemic (30 pmol · kg-1 · min-1) hypoglycemia (2.8 ± 0.1 mmol/l; n = 12; ANTE HYPO), euglycemia (6.2 ± 0.1 mmol/l; n = 12; ANTE EUG), or euglycemia (6.2 ± 0.1 mmol/l) plus simultaneous intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of cortisol (25 µg/h; n = 9; ANTE EUG+Cort) or saline (24 µl/h; n = 8; ANTE EUG+Sal). For all groups, day 2 consisted of a 2-h hyperinsulinemic (30 pmol · kg-1 · min-1) hypoglycemic (2.9 ± 0.2 mmol/l) clamp. Plasma epinephrine and glucagon incremental area under the curve ( AUC) responses were significantly less in ANTE EUG+Cort and ANTE HYPO versus both ANTE EUG and ANTE EUG+Sal (P < 0.05). The AUC responses of plasma norepinephrine were significantly lower in ANTE EUG+Cort versus both ANTE EUG and ANTE EUG+Sal (P < 0.05). Endogenous glucose production was significantly less in ANTE HYPO and ANTE EUG+Cort versus the other groups (P < 0.05). Lastly, the glucose infusion rate to maintain the desired hypoglycemia was significantly greater in ANTE EUG+Cort and ANTE HYPO versus the other two groups (P < 0.05). In summary, ICV infusion of cortisol significantly blunted norepinephrine, epinephrine, glucagon, and endogenous glucose production responses to next-day hypoglycemia. We conclude that cortisol can act directly on the central nervous system to blunt counterregulatory responses to subsequent hypoglycemia in the conscious rat.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Darleen Sandoval, 715 PRB II, Division of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Nashville, TN 37232-6303. E-mail: darleen.sandoval{at}vanderbilt.edu

CiteULike Del.icio.us Digg Reddit Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. V. Matveyenko, M. Bohland, M. Saberi, and C. M. Donovan
Portal vein hypoglycemia is essential for full induction of hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure with slow-onset hypoglycemia
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab,
September 1, 2007;
293(3):
E857 - E864.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
N. C. Tkacs and H. J. Thompson
From bedside to bench and back again: research issues in animal models of human disease.
Biol Res Nurs,
July 1, 2006;
8(1):
78 - 88.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
L. Jacobson, T. Ansari, J. Potts, and O. P. McGuinness
Glucocorticoid-deficient corticotropin-releasing hormone knockout mice maintain glucose requirements but not autonomic responses during repeated hypoglycemia
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab,
July 1, 2006;
291(1):
E15 - E22.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
R. J. McCrimmon, X. Fan, H. Cheng, E. McNay, O. Chan, M. Shaw, Y. Ding, W. Zhu, and R. S. Sherwin
Activation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Within the Ventromedial Hypothalamus Amplifies Counterregulatory Hormone Responses in Rats With Defective Counterregulation
Diabetes,
June 1, 2006;
55(6):
1755 - 1760.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
L. Jacobson, T. Ansari, and O. P. McGuinness
Counterregulatory deficits occur within 24 h of a single hypoglycemic episode in conscious, unrestrained, chronically cannulated mice
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab,
April 1, 2006;
290(4):
E678 - E684.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. E. Inouye, J. T. Y. Yue, O. Chan, T. Kim, E. M. Akirav, E. Park, M. C. Riddell, E. Burdett, S. G. Matthews, and M. Vranic
Effects of Insulin Treatment without and with Recurrent Hypoglycemia on Hypoglycemic Counterregulation and Adrenal Catecholamine-Synthesizing Enzymes in Diabetic Rats
Endocrinology,
April 1, 2006;
147(4):
1860 - 1870.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
P. E. Cryer
Mechanisms of Hypoglycemia-Associated Autonomic Failure and Its Component Syndromes in Diabetes
Diabetes,
December 1, 2005;
54(12):
3592 - 3601.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
R. J. McCrimmon, M. L. Evans, X. Fan, E. C. McNay, O. Chan, Y. Ding, W. Zhu, D. X. Gram, and R. S. Sherwin
Activation of ATP-Sensitive K+ Channels in the Ventromedial Hypothalamus Amplifies Counterregulatory Hormone Responses to Hypoglycemia in Normal and Recurrently Hypoglycemic Rats
Diabetes,
November 1, 2005;
54(11):
3169 - 3174.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
D. A. Sandoval, L. Ping, R. A. Neill, B. Gong, K. Walsh, and S. N. Davis
Brain region-dependent effects of dexamethasone on counterregulatory responses to hypoglycemia in conscious rats
Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol,
February 1, 2005;
288(2):
R413 - R419.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
D. A. Sandoval, D. L. A. Guy, M. A. Richardson, A. C. Ertl, and S. N. Davis
Effects of Low and Moderate Antecedent Exercise on Counterregulatory Responses to Subsequent Hypoglycemia in Type 1 Diabetes
Diabetes,
July 1, 2004;
53(7):
1798 - 1806.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
D. A. Sandoval, L. Ping, R. A. Neill, S. Morrey, and S. N. Davis
The Effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate on Counterregulatory Responses During Repeated Hypoglycemia in Conscious Normal Rats
Diabetes,
March 1, 2004;
53(3):
679 - 686.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
Copyright © 2003 by the American Diabetes Association.
|
|
| |
|