Antecedent hypoglycaemia attenuates vascular endothelial growth factor response to subsequent hypoglycaemia in healthy men

Aim The plasma concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has recently been shown to increase sharply in response to hypoglycaemia and, thus, has been proposed as having a role in hypoglycaemia counter‐regulation. Many counter‐regulatory hormones show a reduced response after antecedent hypoglycaemia. We therefore investigated whether this decrease in responsiveness with repetitive hypoglycaemia also pertains to VEGF. Methods Three hypoglycaemic clamp experiments were performed on two consecutive days in 15 healthy men. VEGF response was assessed during the first and last hypoglycaemic period. Results As expected, plasma VEGF concentrations rose markedly during the clamps (P