REVERSIBILITY OF GLUCOSE-INTOLERANCE AND HYPERINSULINEMIA INDUCED BY A SINGLE-DOSE OF INTRAVENOUS HYDROCORTISONE IN HEALTHY-SUBJECTS

Glucocorticoid administration induces insulin resistance in healthy su bjects. Since hydrocortisone is currently employed in a single dose by the intravenous route in emergency conditions, we felt it would be of interest to evaluate the reversibility of glucose intolerance and hyp erinsulinemia induced by a single dose of intravenous hydrocortisone i n healthy subjects. Eighteen healthy volunteers were submitted to two oral glucose tolerance tests (oGTTs), respectively 12 and 36 h after i .v. injection of hydrocortisone (HC 100 mg) or placebo (PL). Serum glu cose, insulin, and C-peptide were measured in the fasting state and ev ery 30 min during the oGTTs. Fasting serum glucose (94+/-2 vs 76+/-2 m g/dl), insulin (21.5+/-1.7 vs 9.7+/-0.7 mu U/ml), and C-Peptide (3.3+/ -0.0 vs 1.8+/-0.2 ng/ml) values, as well as their areas under the oGTT curves (21966+/-728 vs 18789+/-297 mg/dl . 180 min; 13591+/-1039 vs 6 707+/-379 mu U/ml . 180 min; 1556+/-90 vs 1015+/-47 ng/ml . 180 min), were significantly higher after HC than after PL in the first oGTT: bu t not significantly different in the second oGTT. The fasting C-peptid e/insulin molar ratio was similar after HC and PL (first oGTT: 7.6+/-1 vs 8.9+/-1; second oGTT: 9.0+/-1 vs 9.6+/-1). In conclusion, glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinemia induced by 100 mg of i.v, HC are evid ent after 12 h and completely disappear within 36 h.