Effect of hypothermia on the secretion of immunoreactive insulin in response to glucose

Abstract

Insulin levels in the serum of peripheral venous blood samples from normothermic (37 °C) and hypothermic (24.5 ± 0.5 °C) dogs were estimated by immunoassay before and after the intravenous injection of glucose. In contrast to the rapid rise and fall of glucose levels and insulin levels in normothermic dogs following glucose injection, in most of the hypothermic dogs blood sugar levels rose and were sustained above normal levels throughout the test. These changes were accompanied by elevations in blood insulin levels which were sustained or progressively increased. Several hypothermic animals showed a reduced insulin response despite similar changes in blood glucose.