Glucagon responses to hypoglycemia in adrenalectomized man

In order to examine the possibility that epinephrine is involved in either the mediation or modulation of the enhanced glucagon release during glucopenia, glucagon responses to insulin-induced hypoglycemia were evaluated in four men with bilateral adrenalectomy in comparison with ten normal men. In the adrenalectomized patients, the mean nadir of plasma glucose and the rate of ascent to baseline levels were indistinguishable from those observed in normal subjects. Similarly, glucagon responses in the adrenalectomized group were not different from those encountered in the normal volunteers. We conclude that epinephrine does not contribute significantly to the augmented glucagon release during abrupt glucopenia in normal man and is not necessary for normal recovery from hypoglycemia.