TY - JOUR
T1 - Blunting of spontaneous and alanine-stimulated glucagon secretion in newborn infants of diabetic mothers
AU - Williams, Paul R.
AU - Sperling, Mark A.
AU - Racasa, Zenaida
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported in part by Grant No. H.D. 07087 from the National Institutes of Health, by the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, American Diabetes Association of Southern Calrfornia, and by William Beaumont Hospital Research Institute. Dr. Sperling is a recipient of a Research Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health-IKO4 HD 00029.
PY - 1979/1/1
Y1 - 1979/1/1
N2 - Spontaneous and alanine-stimulated glucagon secretion, and its relation to plasma glucose concentration was investigated in two groups of infants during the initial two hours of life. At birth, plasma glucagon and glucose concentrations were not significantly different in healthy term newborn infants (control subjects) and infants born to insulin-dependent diabetic mothers (IDM-I). In control infants during the first hour of life, glucose fell by 43 ± 16 mg. per deciliter (mean ± S.E.M.) while plasma glucagon rose by 44 ± 16 pg. per milliliter (p < 0.05 for both). However, in IDM-I despite a fall in glucose greater than in control infants, plasma glucagon failed to significantly increase. Intravenous alanine, 150 mg. per kilogram, given at one hour of life, elicited significant increments in glucose and glucagon which were positively correlated in control infants. No significant change in glucose or glucagon occurred in the diabetic group. None of the control infants developed symptomatic or biochemical hypoglycemia (plasma glucose less than 20 mg. per deciliter) whereas five of ten IDM-I developed hypoglycemia. These results suggest that spontaneous and alanine-stimulated glucagon secretion is obtunded in IDM and that this may contribute to hypoglycemia in these infants.
AB - Spontaneous and alanine-stimulated glucagon secretion, and its relation to plasma glucose concentration was investigated in two groups of infants during the initial two hours of life. At birth, plasma glucagon and glucose concentrations were not significantly different in healthy term newborn infants (control subjects) and infants born to insulin-dependent diabetic mothers (IDM-I). In control infants during the first hour of life, glucose fell by 43 ± 16 mg. per deciliter (mean ± S.E.M.) while plasma glucagon rose by 44 ± 16 pg. per milliliter (p < 0.05 for both). However, in IDM-I despite a fall in glucose greater than in control infants, plasma glucagon failed to significantly increase. Intravenous alanine, 150 mg. per kilogram, given at one hour of life, elicited significant increments in glucose and glucagon which were positively correlated in control infants. No significant change in glucose or glucagon occurred in the diabetic group. None of the control infants developed symptomatic or biochemical hypoglycemia (plasma glucose less than 20 mg. per deciliter) whereas five of ten IDM-I developed hypoglycemia. These results suggest that spontaneous and alanine-stimulated glucagon secretion is obtunded in IDM and that this may contribute to hypoglycemia in these infants.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0018419211&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0002-9378(79)90410-1
DO - 10.1016/0002-9378(79)90410-1
M3 - Article
C2 - 760535
AN - SCOPUS:0018419211
SN - 0002-9378
VL - 133
SP - 51
EP - 56
JO - American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
JF - American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
IS - 1
ER -