Abstract
Summary
The intravenous administration of 25 g of glucose in 50% solution was accompanied by a significant lymphocytopenia which reached its lowest level at 1/2 to 1 hour in 5 normal subjects and at 2 hours in the sixth. The intravenous administration of 0.075 unit of regular insulin per kilo of body weight evoked a significant absolute lymphocytosis which reached its peak at 45 to 60 minutes in 7 normal persons, and at 120 minutes in the eighth. The lymphocytopenia after glucose administration is inferred to be a result of adrenocortical stimulation caused by the change in the blood sugar level. The absolute lymphocytosis after insulin is similarly assumed to result from adrenocortical inhibition due to the moderate hypoglycemia. The discrepancy between our findings and those of others, who noted a decrease of lymphocytes following insulin, is explained by the small amounts of insulin used by us, thus avoiding shock and concomitant adrenocortical stimulation. This study suggests that the response of the adrenal cortex to hyper- and hypoglycemia serves to maintain homeostasis.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.