Hormonal counterregulation in ethanol-induced hypoglycemia-Glucagon and cortisol secretion in pigs

Plasma glucagon and cortisol levels were determined in pigs during ethanol-induced hypoglycemia. This hypoglycemia is due to an inhibition of gluconeogenesis which could be related to an abnormal secretion of gluconeogenetic hormones. In six pigs the infusion of ethanol for seven hours (6 mg/kg/min) induced a significant decrease of plasma glucose which was associated with a significant increase of plasma glucagon in the portal vein, femoral artery and hepatic vein. Corresponding with the period of maximal hypoglycemia, plasma cortisol in the femoral artery was also significantly increased. On the other hand, plasma insulin levels were consistently reduced during hypoglycemia. In a second group of six pigs ethanol was infused along with a glucose infusion (3 mg/kg/min) in order to obtain a relatively constant glucose concentration. In this group ethanol did not produce any significant modification of plasma glucagon and cortisol. Therefore, glucagon and cortisol hypersecretion is related to hypoglycemia induced by ethanol. Both the increase in plasma glucagon and cortisol and the decrease in plasma insulin could represent a protective mechanism against alcohol-hypoglycemia.