Dexamethasone attenuates hypoglycemia in ten day old rats treated with TNF alpha.

Hypoglycemia during septic shock is a common and life-threatening sign in the newborn. TNF alpha is an important cytokine in endotoxic shock. The present study was performed to investigate if TNF alpha induces hypoglycemia and if dexamethasone ameliorates the TNF alpha effects in 10 day old rats. TNF alpha induced hypoglycemia and lactacidemia without altering plasma insulin concentration in 10 day old rats. TNF alpha increased GLUT1 mRNA abundance in brain, liver, muscle and fatty tissue, and decreased liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) mRNA abundance. Dexamethasone attenuated the hypoglycemia and lactacidemia. Dexamethasone blunted the increase of GLUT1 mRNA abundance and increased the liver PEPCK mRNA abundance. Dexamethasone may be beneficial by promoting gluconeogenesis.