Homeostasis mechanism, blood glucose

Pharmacologically mediated adverse effects can be placed into one of three categories (1) primary pharmacodynamic (PD) effects, (2) secondary PD effects, and (3)those either not linked to the primary PD effect or caused by an unknown mechanism. Primary pharmacodynamic adverse effects are those which represent an overexpression of the primary, intended pharmacological effect of the xenobi-otic. An example of an adverse primary PD effect occurs when an overdose of insulin, a critical hormone involved in the homeostasis of blood glucose, is administered. A deficiency of insulin results in diabetes mellitus and is expressed by hyperglycemia. Overdosing of insulin results in hypoglycemia, which can have immediate and severe clinical consequences. 

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