Biomedical subjects

S E Kahn

Publications and source records attributed to S E Kahn.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMed1994

Verification of reference ranges by using a Monte Carlo sampling technique.

We have investigated the application of Monte Carlo significance tests to the verification of reference ranges in the context of the transfer of an established range from one laboratory to another. Here we present an introduction to the Monte Carlo technique, outline a procedure for performing these tests using a commercially available software program, and demonstrate some of the operating characteristics of the tests when they are used to compare samples of different sizes and variances.

Chemistry, Clinical↗

PubMed1994

Multicenter evaluation of automated immunoturbidimetric assays for measurement of apolipoproteins A-I and B in serum and plasma.

Results of a multicenter evaluation of automated assays for measurement of apolipoproteins (apo) A-I and B with the Paramax analytical system are reported. Apo A-I and apo B response surface models were used to optimize concentrations of critical assay variables. Overall imprecision for apo A-I controls at concentrations of 1.01-1.61 g/L was 3.7-6.6%; overall imprecision for apo B controls at 1.00-1.61 g/L was 2.8-6.9%. There was no interference in apo A-I measurements. Albumin concentrations > 59 g/L resulted in a negative interference, and collection in sodium heparin caused a positive interference in apo B results. Apo A-I and apo B assays demonstrated acceptable agreement with comparative methods, although the Paramax apo B assays had a negative bias with respect to comparison methods. In 116 healthy individuals, serum apo A-I ranged from 0.97 to 2.05 g/L and serum apo B ranged from 0.51 to 1.32 g/L.

Apolipoprotein A-I↗

PubMed1993

Evidence for selective release of rodent islet amyloid polypeptide through the constitutive secretory pathway.

To determine the potential for differential release of islet amyloid polypeptide and insulin, we performed studies in rat islet monolayer cultures under conditions known to impair regulated beta-cell secretion. In inhibiting concentrations of epinephrine or the absence of calcium, islet amyloid polypeptide was secreted through a constitutive pathway while insulin was not. These findings suggest a mechanism for persistent islet amyloid polypeptide secretion and amyloid accumulation when regulated insulin release is impaired as in Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus and insulinomas.

Amyloid↗

PubMed1993

Effect of heparin on insulin-glucose interactions measured by the minimal model technique: implications for reproducibility using this method.

The minimal model technique permits investigation of glucose and insulin interactions during a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT). The model allows measurement of several important variables including insulin sensitivity (SI), glucose effectiveness at basal insulin (SG), and glucose effectiveness at zero insulin (GEZI). In addition, from the FSIGT, first-phase insulin secretion (AIRglucose) and the glucose disappearance constant (Kg) can be estimated. The estimates obtained using the minimal model technique could be of importance in understanding potential relationships between carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. In studying lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity and mass as one of the elements of lipid metabolism, heparin administration is necessary. However, the effect of administration of this agent on factors important in carbohydrate metabolism has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, to assess the effect of heparin on insulin-glucose interactions, we performed paired studies in which subjects randomly underwent FSIGT studies 20 minutes following bolus injections of heparin or saline. None of the measured parameters was influenced by heparin administration just before the FSIGT. Since these estimates were not affected by heparin administration, these studies also permitted assessment of the coefficient of variation of replicate analysis for all values generated using the minimal model technique. The coefficients of variation of replicate analysis calculated from these two studies were 16.9% for SI, 16.6% for SG, 18.3% for GEZI, 20.6% for AIRglucose, and 14.5% for Kg. These results suggest that heparin can be administered as part of a procedure that would allow concurrent assessment of various aspects of both carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Prospective evaluation of beta-cell function in insulin autoantibody-positive relatives of insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

During the preclinical period of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), progression to clinical IDDM is characterized by declining beta-cell function. Although the presence of insulin autoantibodies (IAA) improves the ability of islet cell antibodies (ICA) to predict subsequent clinical IDDM, few studies have examined the risk of developing IDDM in subjects positive for IAA but negative for both ICA and antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (64kA). To investigate this question, detailed beta-cell function tests (acute insulin response to glucose [AIRgluc] and slope of glucose potentiation) were performed on eight IAA-positive first-degree relatives of insulin-dependent diabetics. All eight subjects were negative for ICA, and seven were tested for 64kA and were negative. Five subjects were studied prospectively for 22.4 +/- 9.4 months, while three subjects had only initial studies. Initial beta-cell function tests were normal in each subject. AIRgluc was 122.2% +/- 19.0% of the expected normal response, while slope was 168.6% +/- 20.6% of expected normal response. beta-cell function remained normal and remarkably stable in the five subjects followed prospectively. AIRgluc did not significantly change from an initial value of 147.9% +/- 23.1% of expected to 153.2% +/- 22.4% (NS). The slope of glucose potentiation varied little from 165.5% +/- 39.4% initially to 159.5% +/- 27.3% (NS) at the most recent determination. We conclude that among nondiabetic first-degree relatives of IDDM subjects, the presence of IAA in the absence of ICA and 64kA is not usually associated with and therefore does not reliably predict beta-cell dysfunction or progressive deterioration in beta-cell function.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Effect of human growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor I on whole-body leucine and estimates of protein metabolism.

Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) administration to normal volunteers increases estimates of whole-body and forearm protein synthesis but has little effect on rates of proteolysis in both the postabsorptive state and during meal absorption. In contrast, insulin decreases estimates of whole-body and forearm proteolysis while decreasing or, in the presence of infused (or ingested) amino acids, sustaining estimates of protein synthesis. We have used high-dose prednisone as a controlled model for protein catabolism in normal volunteers and demonstrated that glucocorticosteroids increase estimates of whole-body proteolysis and the oxidation of leucine with little or no effect on estimates of whole-body protein synthesis. We have recently demonstrated that high-dose rhGH together with prednisone prevents the protein-catabolic effects observed with treatment with prednisone alone, while inducing insulin resistance and increased secretion of proinsulin. GH is thought to mediate its effects via the generation of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). However, high rates of infusion of rhIGF-I induce hypoglycemia and decrease estimates of whole-body proteolysis and suppress the secretion of GH, insulin and glucagon, suggesting a predominant insulin-like effect on protein and glucose metabolism. When rhIGF-I is infused at a rate that achieves plasma IGF-I concentrations similar to those observed during rhGH treatment and yet avoids hypoglycemia, estimates of proteolysis and protein synthesis were not affected in the absence or presence of prednisone treatment. When rhGH and rhIGF-I are administered simultaneously, nitrogen balance is remarkably improved. Thus, the mechanism of action of both rhGH and/or rhIGF-I on body protein metabolism remains to be elucidated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Growth Hormone↗

PubMed1993

Saturable transport of insulin from plasma into the central nervous system of dogs in vivo. A mechanism for regulated insulin delivery to the brain.

By acting in the central nervous system, circulating insulin may regulate food intake and body weight. We have previously shown that the kinetics of insulin uptake from plasma into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can best be explained by passage through an intermediate compartment. To determine if transport kinetics into this compartment were consistent with an insulin receptor-mediated transport process, we subjected overnight fasted, anesthetized dogs to euglycemic intravenous insulin infusions for 90 min over a wide range of plasma insulin levels (69-5,064 microU/ml) (n = 10). Plasma and CSF samples were collected over 8 h for determination of immunoreactive insulin levels, and the kinetics of insulin uptake from plasma into CSF were analyzed using a compartmental model with three components (plasma-->intermediate compartment-->CSF). By sampling frequently during rapid changes of plasma and CSF insulin levels, we were able to precisely estimate three parameters (average standard deviation 14%) characterizing the uptake of insulin from plasma, through the intermediate compartment and into CSF (k1k2); insulin entry into CSF and insulin clearance from the intermediate compartment (k2 + k3); and insulin clearance from CSF (k4). At physiologic plasma insulin levels (80 +/- 7.4 microU/ml), k1k2 was determined to be 10.7 x 10(-6) +/- 1.3 x 10(-6) min-2. With increasing plasma levels, however, k1k2 decreased progressively, being reduced sevenfold at supraphysiologic levels (5,064 microU/ml). The apparent KM of this saturation curve was 742 microU/ml (approximately 5 nM). In contrast, the rate constants for insulin removal from the intermediate compartment and from CSF did not vary with plasma insulin (k2 + k3 = 0.011 +/- 0.0019 min-1 and k4 = 0.046 +/- 0.021 min-1). We conclude that delivery of plasma insulin into the central nervous system is saturable, and is likely facilitated by an insulin-receptor mediated transport process.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Quantification of the relationship between insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function in human subjects. Evidence for a hyperbolic function.

To determine the relationship between insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function, we quantified the insulin sensitivity index using the minimal model in 93 relatively young, apparently healthy human subjects of varying degrees of obesity (55 male, 38 female; 18-44 yr of age; body mass index 19.5-52.2 kg/m2) and with fasting glucose levels < 6.4 mM. SI was compared with measures of body adiposity and beta-cell function. Although lean individuals showed a wide range of SI, body mass index and SI were related in a curvilinear manner (P < 0.0001) so that on average, an increase in body mass index was associated generally with a lower value for SI. The relationship between the SI and the beta-cell measures was more clearly curvilinear and reciprocal for fasting insulin (P < 0.0001), first-phase insulin response (AIRglucose; P < 0.0001), glucose potentiation slope (n = 56; P < 0.005), and beta-cell secretory capacity (AIRmax; n = 43; P < 0.0001). The curvilinear relationship between SI and the beta-cell measures could not be distinguished from a hyperbola, i.e., SI x beta-cell function = constant. This hyperbolic relationship described the data significantly better than a linear function (P < 0.05). The nature of this relationship is consistent with a regulated feedback loop control system such that for any difference in SI, a proportionate reciprocal difference occurs in insulin levels and responses in subjects with similar carbohydrate tolerance. We conclude that in human subjects with normal glucose tolerance and varying degrees of obesity, beta-cell function varies quantitatively with differences in insulin sensitivity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed1993

Reduced sample number for calculation of insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness from the minimal model. Suitability for use in population studies.

The FSIGT has been extensively applied to the minimal model of glucose kinetics to obtain noninvasive measures of Sl. The protocol has been modified by the addition of a bolus tolbutamide or insulin injection 20 min after glucose. Although the modified protocol has improved the Sl estimate, the method still requires a relatively large number of samples (n = 30). To reduce the total number of samples, we choose a sample schedule that minimizes the variance of the parameter estimates and the error in reconstructing the plasma insulin profile. With data from 10 subjects (BMI 30 +/- 7 kg/m2; Sl 0.9-10.2 x 10(-4) min-1.microU-1 x ml-1), a schedule consisting of 12 samples (0, 2, 4, 8, 19, 22, 30, 40, 50, 70, 90, and 180 min) was obtained. Estimates of Sl obtained from the reduced sampling schedule were then compared with those obtained with the full sampling schedule. In all 10 individuals, the Sl estimates were almost identical. A second, much larger data base consisting of 118 modified FSIGTs performed in 87 subjects (67 men, 20 women; BMI from 19.6 to 40 kg/m2 for men and 26.7 to 52.5 for women; Sl from 0.35 to 14.1 x 10(-4) min-1 x microU-1 x ml-1) was then used to independently assess the efficacy of the reduced sampling protocol. For this data base, the correlation between Sl, which was calculated from the full versus the reduced sampling schedule, was 0.95. The mean relative deviation was -1.5% (not significantly different from zero), and the SD of the relative deviation was 20.2%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Effect of glucocorticoid and growth hormone treatment on proinsulin levels in humans.

Treatment with glucocorticoids is associated with a disproportionate elevation in the PI/IRI ratio. To determine whether growth hormone--another agent capable of producing insulin resistance and changing B-cell function--also alters the PI/IRI ratio and whether growth hormone and glucocorticoids have a synergistic effect on PI and IRI levels, we examined these variables in four groups of young healthy subjects (n = 8/group) after 7 days of treatment with placebo, prednisone (0.8 mg.kg-1 x day-1), rhGH (0.1 mg.kg-1 x day-1), and the combination of prednisone and rhGH. Fasting plasma glucose levels increased significantly above those of the control group in subjects receiving prednisone or prednisone and rhGH but not in subjects receiving rhGH alone. The basal concentration of IRI increased in response to prednisone, rhGH, and the combination of prednisone and rhGH. However, this increase in IRI was largely due to an increase in PI, so that the PI/IRI ratio increased from 14.7 +/- 2.4% in control subjects to 33.9 +/- 5.3% in subjects on prednisone (P < 0.005), 40.9 +/- 4.3% in individuals receiving rhGH (P < 0.001 vs. control subjects), and 58.1 +/- 9.2% in subjects receiving both prednisone and rhGH (P < 0.001 vs. control subjects). We suggest that this change in PI/IRI with glucocorticoid and growth hormone treatment may be due to an alteration in B-cell synthesis or release of PI. This change in the PI/IRI ratio is not dependent on fasting hyperglycemia but may contribute to the hyperglycemia often observed with these agents. Furthermore, these data show that IRI is not a reliable indicator of true insulin levels or insulin sensitivity in either growth hormone- or glucocorticoid-treated subjects.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Effect of intensive endurance training on lipoprotein profiles in young and older men.

Although there are considerable data concerning the effects of endurance exercise training (ET) on plasma lipoproteins, the results have been quite inconsistent. The observed variability of response may be related to the age, sex, adiposity, or diet of the subjects tested, or to the type and intensity of the exercise intervention. Furthermore, there is relatively little such data in older individuals. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of intensive ET on lipoprotein profiles in healthy young (n = 12; 28.2 +/- 2.4 years) and older (n = 15; 67.5 +/- 5.8 years) men. Unlike subjects in most similar studies, our subjects were weight-stabilized on a constant-composition diet for 21 days prior to determination of the lipoprotein profile before and after the ET program. At baseline, the two groups were not significantly different with respect to any individual component of their lipoprotein profiles, relative weight, or percent body fat, but the older men had a more central distribution of fat by both waist to hip ratio (WHR) and computed tomography (CT). Maximal aerobic power, expressed per kilogram of body weight (VO2 max), was 33% lower (P less than .001) in the older men at baseline. Following the 6-month, walk/jog/bike ET program (5 d/wk), both the young (+18%, P less than .001) and the older (+22%, P less than .001) men increased their VO2 max. This was associated with small, but significant, decrements in weight, percent body fat, and WHR only in the older men.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Fibrinolytic response during exercise and epinephrine infusion in the same subjects.

To determine whether exercise-induced increases in tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) were related to plasma epinephrine concentration during exercise, 14 healthy men (aged 24 to 62 years) were studied during epinephrine infusions (10, 25 and 50 ng/kg per min) and graded supine bicycle exercise, beginning at 33 W and increasing in 33-W increments until exhaustion. Plasma epinephrine, active and total t-PA, active plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) and t-PA/PAI-1 complex concentrations were measured at each exercise and infusion level. During epinephrine infusion, active and total t-PA levels increased linearly with the plasma epinephrine concentration (respective slopes [+/- SEM] of 0.062 +/- 0.003 and 0.076 +/- 0.003 pmol/ng epinephrine). During exercise, t-PA levels did not increase until plasma epinephrine levels increased, after which both active and total t-PA levels again increased linearly with the plasma epinephrine concentration, but at twice the rate observed with epinephrine infusion (0.131 +/- 0.005 and 0.147 +/- 0.005 pmol/ng, respectively). The t-PA level in blood was directly proportional to the plasma epinephrine concentration during both exercise and epinephrine infusion, suggesting that epinephrine release during exercise stimulates t-PA secretion. In these healthy subjects, active plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 and t-PA/PAI-1 complex levels were low (41 +/- 11 and 21 +/- 5 pmol/liter, respectively) and did not change significantly during exercise or epinephrine infusion. It is concluded that approximately 50% of the increase in t-PA during exercise is due to stimulated release of t-PA by epinephrine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Short-term hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia improve insulin action but do not alter glucose action in normal humans.

Tissue glucose uptake occurs by insulin-dependent and insulin-independent mechanisms. To evaluate the effect of mild hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia on the parameters responsible for glucose disposal, glucose (1.17 mmol/min) or saline was infused into six healthy male subjects (age 25-38 yr, body mass index 22.1-26.3 kg/m2) for 24 h. Thereafter, while the infusion continued, indexes of insulin sensitivity (SI), glucose effectiveness at basal insulin (SG), basal insulin effect (BIE = SI x basal insulin), and glucose effectiveness at zero insulin (GEZI = SG - BIE) were measured using Bergman's minimal model of insulin action. GEZI provides a measure of the efficiency of glucose to accelerate its own disposal independent of insulin. Twenty-four hours of glucose infusion increased the basal plasma glucose (5.1 +/- 0.1 to 6.4 +/- 0.2 mM, P = 0.001) and insulin (79 +/- 8 to 174 +/- 31 pM, P less than 0.05) levels. Hyperglycemia was also associated with an increase in the insulin response, predominantly in the second-phase component (138 +/- 31 to 258 +/- 66 pM, P less than 0.05). SI (4.8 +/- 1.0 to 8.2 +/- 1.6 x 10(-5) min-1.pM-1, P less than 0.05) and SG (1.7 +/- 0.1 to 2.5 +/- 0.3 x 10(-2) min-1, P less than 0.05) both increased after glucose infusion. The increase in SG was entirely due to the combined increase in basal insulin and insulin sensitivity (BIE 0.4 +/- 0.1 to 1.2 +/- 0.1 x 10(-2) min-1, P = 0.001) since GEZI did not change at all (1.3 +/- 0.1 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.3 x 10(-2) min-1, P = not significant). From these data we conclude that, in normal subjects, the mild hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia occurring during a prolonged glucose infusion improves glucose disposal in the basal state by increasing insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity but does not enhance glucose effectiveness independent of insulin. Both of these changes thus tend to minimize the development of hyperglycemia.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Differences in cardiovascular responses to isoproterenol in relation to age and exercise training in healthy men.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac aging is characterized by a reduced heart rate response to beta-agonist stimulation with isoproterenol, but whether the ejection fraction and other cardiovascular responses are reduced in humans is largely unknown. In addition, whether reduced beta-agonist responses can be improved with exercise training has not been determined in humans. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cardiovascular responses to graded isoproterenol infusions (3.5, 7, 14, and 35 ng/kg/min for 14 minutes each) were assessed in 15 older (age, 60-82 years) and 17 young (age, 24-32 years) rigorously screened healthy men. Thirteen older and 11 young subjects completed 6 months of endurance training and were retested. At baseline, the older group had reduced responses to isoproterenol for heart rate (+65% older versus +92% young, p less than 0.001), systolic blood pressure (+9% versus +24%, p less than 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (-12% versus -24%, p less than 0.05), ejection fraction (+12 versus +20 ejection fraction units, p less than 0.001), and cardiac output (+70% versus +100%, p less than 0.001). The mean plasma isoproterenol concentrations achieved during the infusions were marginally higher (p = 0.07) in the older group (128 +/- 58, 227 +/- 64, 354 +/- 114, and 700 +/- 125 pg/ml) than in the young (79 +/- 20, 178 +/- 49, 273 +/- 79, and 571 +/- 139 pg/ml). Intensive training increased maximal oxygen consumption by 21% in the older group (28.9 +/- 4.6 to 35.1 +/- 3.8 ml/kg/min, p less than 0.001) and by 17% in the young (44.5 +/- 5.1 to 52.1 +/- 6.3 ml/kg/min, p less than 0.001), but training did not augment any of the cardiovascular responses to isoproterenol in either group. The mean plasma isoproterenol concentrations at the four infusion doses were unchanged after training in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that there is an age-associated decline in heart rate, blood pressure, ejection fraction, and cardiac output responses to beta-adrenergic stimulation with isoproterenol in healthy men. Altered beta-adrenergic responses probably contribute to the reduced cardiac responses to maximal exercise that also occur with aging. Furthermore, intensive exercise training does not increase cardiac responses to beta-adrenergic stimulation with isoproterenol in either young or older men. The reduced beta-adrenergic response appears to be a primary age-associated change that is not caused by disease or inactivity.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Inhibition of hypothalamic neuropeptide Y gene expression by insulin.

Insulin acts in the brain to suppress feeding, whereas neuropeptide Y (NPY) has the opposite effect. Since fasting lowers plasma insulin levels and increases hypothalamic synthesis of NPY, we proposed that insulin may inhibit hypothalamic NPY gene expression. To test this hypothesis, we used RIA and in situ hybridization histochemistry to determine if centrally administered insulin could reduce levels of both NPY and its messenger RNA (mRNA) in discreet hypothalamic regions during fasting. Three groups of Long-Evans rats were entered into a 72-h study protocol. One group was fed ad libitum during this period, while the others were fasted. Fed rats received intracerebroventricular (icv) injections of saline vehicle at 12-h intervals, whereas fasted groups received icv vehicle alone or with insulin (4 mU/12 h). In vehicle-only treated rats, fasting significantly increased expression of preproNPY mRNA in the arcuate nucleus to 179 +/- 20% of fed controls. Administration of icv insulin during fasting abolished this increase (99 +/- 14% of fed controls; P less than 0.05 vs. fasted, vehicle-treated rats). Central insulin administration during fasting also reduced immunoreactive NPY concentrations in samples punched from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) (875 +/- 122 pg/punch) to levels below vehicle-only treated rats (1396 +/- 435 pg/punch; P less than 0.05), similar to free-feeding control values (814 +/- 170 pg/punch). By comparison, neither fasting nor central insulin administration altered NPY levels in four other hypothalamic regions (supraoptic, ventromedial, dorsomedial, and arcuate nuclei). Continuous icv insulin infusion at a lower dose (2 mU/day) produced a similar result during a shorter period (48 h) of food deprivation in Wistar rats. In this study, central insulin infusion also inhibited the fasting-related increase in arcuate preproNPY mRNA levels and did not affect plasma glucose or insulin levels. This suggests that insulin acts locally to inhibit hypothalamic NPY mRNA expression. We conclude that the increase of levels of NPY in the PVN and preproNPY mRNA in the arcuate nucleus during fasting are inhibited by icv insulin. Fasting, therefore, increases NPY biosynthesis along an arcuate nucleus-PVN pathway in the hypothalamus via a mechanism dependent on low insulin levels.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Effect of insulin resistance and hyperglycemia on proinsulin release in a primate model of diabetes mellitus.

An elevated plasma proinsulin (PI) to immunoreactive insulin (IRI) ratio occurs in relatives of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and in subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. To determine whether this alteration is the result of B-cell dysfunction and/or insulin resistance, we infused nicotinic acid for 3 weeks to produce insulin resistance in five adolescent male baboons before and after the administration of streptozocin (200 mg/kg). We measured basal PI and IRI levels and the acute incremental PI (APIR) and IRI (AIRIR) responses to iv arginine. The quantity of IRI comprised of PI was calculated in the basal state (PI/IRI) and following arginine injection (APIR/AIRIR). Streptozocin administration did not change the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) compared to that in the normal animals (4.7 +/- 0.3 vs. 4.3 +/- 0.2 mM) but raised the PI/IRI (16.4 +/- 3.4 vs. 5.9 +/- 1.7%) and APIR/AIRIR (7.1 +/- 1.0 vs. 2.8 +/- 1.0%) due to a concurrent reduction in IRI and increase in PI concentrations. The induction of experimental insulin resistance with nicotinic acid in the normal animals had no effect on the FPG (4.4 +/- 0.2 mM) but in the streptozocin treated animals, fasting hyperglycemia (8.3 +/- 1.7 mM) developed. Neither the basal PI/IRI (10.2 +/- 2.2%) or the APIR/AIRIR (2.3 +/- 0.6%) increased in the insulin-resistant streptozocin animals thus being no different to that of normal control animals before or during experimental insulin resistance. We conclude that disproportionate proinsulinemia is a manifestation of B-cell damage from streptozocin which is not exacerbated by insulin resistance or hyperglycemia.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Exercise training delineates the importance of B-cell dysfunction to the glucose intolerance of human aging.

Aging has been associated with glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and diminished islet B-cell function. The relative contribution of these factors to the aging-associated changes in glucose tolerance has been difficult to discern, particularly so for B-cell function, since insulin sensitivity itself is a determinant of B-cell function and, therefore, comparisons of insulin levels and responses between old and young subjects are difficult. To reduce this effect, we compared B-cell function in 14 healthy older men (aged 61-82 yr; body mass index, 21-30 kg/m2), who were exercise trained for 6 months to improve insulin sensitivity, to that of 11 healthy young men (aged 24-31 yr; body mass index, 19-31 kg/m2), who were also trained. Insulin-glucose interactions were assessed by measuring indices of insulin sensitivity (SI) and glucose effectiveness at zero insulin (GEZI) using Bergman's minimal model. B-Cell function was assessed by determining the acute insulin responses (AIR) to glucose (AIRgluc) and arginine at 3 different glucose levels: fasting, approximately 14 mM, and greater than 28 mM (AIRmax). AIRmax provides a measure of B-cell secretory capacity, while the glucose level at which 50% of AIRmax occurs is termed PG50 and is used to estimate B-cell sensitivity to glucose. The insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness at zero insulin of the trained older subjects was similar to that of the trained young [SI: old, 5.1 +/- 0.6; young, 6.5 +/- 0.7 x 10(-5) min-1/pM (mean +/- SEM; P = NS); GEZI: old, 1.3 +/- 0.2; young, 1.7 +/- 0.2 x 10(-2) min (P = NS)]. Under these conditions, the fasting glucose levels (old, 5.4 +/- 0.2; young, 5.1 +/- 0.1 mM) and basal insulin levels (old, 49 +/- 6; young, 63 +/- 11 pM) were also similar in the two groups. AIRgluc values were lower in the exercised elderly (old, 253 +/- 50; young, 543 +/- 101 pM; P = 0.01). This decrease in stimulated insulin release was due solely to a reduction in the AIRmax (old, 1277 +/- 179; young, 2321 +/- 225 pM; P less than 0.005); the PG50 was not different (old, 8.9 +/- 0.4; young, 8.8 +/- 0.2 mM; P = NS). These differences in the older subjects were associated with a reduction in iv glucose tolerance (old, 1.49 +/- 0.15; young, 1.95 +/- 0.13%/min; P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Mechanisms for hyperglycemia in type II diabetes mellitus: therapeutic implications for sulfonylurea treatment--an update.

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is characterized by fasting hyperglycemia associated with defects in the pancreatic islet, the liver, and the peripheral tissues, which together comprise a feedback loop responsible for maintenance of glucose homeostasis. This review focuses on the key role of the endocrine pancreas alpha and beta cells to coordinate glucose output from the liver with glucose utilization. The basal rate of hepatic glucose utilization. The basal rate of hepatic glucose production is elevated in subjects with NIDDM, and this is positively correlated with the degree of fasting hyperglycemia. This increased rate of glucose release by the liver results from impaired hepatic sensitivity to insulin, reduced insulin secretion, and increased glucagon secretion. Though basal immunoreactive insulin levels in patients with NIDDM may appear normal when compared with healthy individuals, islet function testing at matched glucose levels reveals impairments of basal, steady-state, and stimulated insulin secretion due to a reduction in beta-cell secretory capacity and a reduced ability of glucose to suppress glucagon. The degree of impaired beta-cell responsiveness to glucose is closely related to the degree of fasting hyperglycemia but in a curvilinear fashion. The efficiency of glucose uptake by the peripheral tissues is also impaired due to a combination of decreased insulin secretion and defective cellular insulin action. This impairment becomes more important to the hyperglycemia as the islet alpha- and beta-cell function declines. Therapeutic interventions, to be effective, must reduce hepatic glucose production either by improving islet dysfunction and raising plasma insulin levels, or improving the effectiveness of insulin on the liver. Both result in a decline in the fasting glucose levels regardless of the cause of hyperglycemia. We conclude that NIDDM is characterized by a steady-state re-regulation of plasma glucose concentration at an elevated level in which islet dysfunction plays a necessary role. Treatment should be based on this physiologic understanding.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2↗