1975 Volume 24 Issue 9 Pages 656-664,689
The pituitary adrenocortical responses to insulin induced hypoglycemia were studied in 15 asthmatic children and 5 control ones. The asthmatics were the patients compelled to admission to the National Sanatorium, Nishi-Sapporo Hospital because of their resistance to the treatment. They were divided into two groups: group 1 consisted of 10 asymptomatic patients and group 2 of 5 symptomatic ones after their admission. In group 1, the decreased rate of the blood sugar levels at 30 minutes after the administration of insulin showed significantly lower values as compared with those in control at 7:30 a.m.. However, the plasma cortisol levels at 30 minutes after the administration of insulin were significantly higher than those before the administration of insulin, and the mean increased values were significantly higher than those in control. Therefore, in group 1 patients cortisol was found earlier and larger amount of it was secreted in plasma by the stimulation of insulin. In group 2, the decreased rate of the blood sugar levels at 30 minutes after the administration of insulin showed significantly lower values as compared with those in control at 7:30 a.m.. However the plasma cortisol levels were almost the same as those in control. Concerning the decreased rate of the blood sugar levels after the administration of insulin at 8:00 p.m., there were no defierences among group 1, group 2 and control. But in group 2 the total amount of the plasma cortisol secreted for 60 minutes at 8:00 p.m. was signigicatly lower than those at 7:30 a.m.. There was no correlation between the plasma cortisol levels before stimulation and the maximum increased dosis of plasma cortisol after insulin administration.
