URINARY-EXCRETION OF ADRENALINE AND NORADRENALINE DURING HYPOGLYCEMICCLAMP IN DIABETIC AND NONDIABETIC ADOLESCENTS

The urinary excretion of non-conjugated adrenaline and noradrenaline d uring hypoglycaemic clamp was investigated in 16 diabetic and 15 non-d iabetic adolescents. In the diabetic adolescents, the mean excretion o f adrenaline was approximately nine times higher in clamp urine than i n 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 (AUG) and renal cleara nce of catecholamines were calculated. There was a linear correlation between the AUC and the urinary excretion of adrenaline (r=0.57, p=0.0 01) and noradrenaline (r=0.49, p=0.006) during the hypoglycaemic clamp . The renal clearance of adrenaline and noradrenaline did not differ b etween the diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. In the diabetic group, there was a positive correlation between HbA(1c) and the adrenaline ex cretion in clamp urine (r=0.60, p=0.015). The eight diabetic subjects with HbA(1c)<10% had lower adrenaline excretion in clamp urine than th e subjects with HbA(1c)>10% and the non-diabetic subjects (all p value s <0.05). We conclude that there is a marked increase in urinary adren aline excretion during hypoglycaemia in diabetic and non-diabetic adol escents. The increase in adrenaline excretion during hypoglycaemia was attenuated in the better-controlled diabetic adolescents in our study .