Urinary excretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline during hypoglycaemic clamp in diabetic and non-diabetic adolescents

Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1997 Dec;57(8):711-8. doi: 10.3109/00365519709105233.

Abstract

The urinary excretion of non-conjugated adrenaline and noradrenaline during hypoglycaemic clamp was investigated in 16 diabetic and 15 non-diabetic adolescents. In the diabetic adolescents, the mean excretion of adrenaline was approximately nine times higher in clamp urine than in morning urine (p < 0.0001). In the non-diabetic adolescents, the mean excretion of adrenaline was 20-30 times higher in clamp urine than in morning urine (p < 0.0001). Plasma catecholamines were measured, and the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and renal clearance of catecholamines were calculated. There was a linear correlation between the AUC and the urinary excretion of adrenaline (r = 0.57, p = 0.001) and noradrenaline (r = 0.49, p = 0.006) during the hypoglycaemic clamp. The renal clearance of adrenaline and noradrenaline did not differ between the diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. In the diabetic group, there was a positive correlation between HbA1c and the adrenaline excretion in clamp urine (r = 0.60, p = 0.015). The eight diabetic subjects with HbA1c < 10% had lower adrenaline excretion in clamp urine than the subjects with HbA1c > 10% and the non-diabetic subjects (all p values < 0.05). We conclude that there is a marked increase in urinary adrenaline excretion during hypoglycaemia in diabetic and non-diabetic adolescents. The increase in adrenaline excretion during hypoglycaemia was attenuated in the better-controlled diabetic adolescents in our study.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / urine*
  • Epinephrine / urine*
  • Glucose Clamp Technique*
  • Glycated Hemoglobin / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemia / urine*
  • Insulin / blood
  • Kidney / metabolism
  • Metabolic Clearance Rate
  • Norepinephrine / urine*

Substances

  • Glycated Hemoglobin A
  • Insulin
  • Norepinephrine
  • Epinephrine