Physiological responses to insulin hypoglycaemia in spinal man

Abstract

The physiological responses to hypoglycaemia induced by fish insulin were studied in nine tetraplegic subjects with physiologically complete cervical spinal cord transection between C4 and C8. During hypoglycaemia there was a reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure unlike in normal subjects. This was accompanied by a rise in heart rate. The normal rise in plasma adrenaline levels did not occur. Plasma human insulin levels were suppressed. The usual neuroglycopenic symptoms accompanying hypoglycaemia did not occur in the tetraplegics. © 1979 Paraplegia. All Rights Reserved.