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Biomedical subjects

W Beischer

Publications and source records attributed to W Beischer.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Insulin secretion in growth hormone-deficient children and the effect of the sulfonylurea drug glibenclamide on linear growth.

The effect of glucose on insulin release and the influence of glibenclamide on linear growth were determined in five growth hormone (STH) deficient children who were treated with human growth hormone. It was found that the administration of 5 I.U. of human growth hormone twice a week improved the defective insulin secretion while prolongation of the week improved the defective insulin secretion while prolongation of the interval between growth hormone injections to 7 days had no effect on beta-cell function. The addition of treatment with 5 mg/day glibenclamide to the regular human growth hormone injections resulted in an increased growth rate in four children while one patient developed hypoglycemic symptoms. The results show that STH-deficient children may benefit from combined treatment with human growth hormone plus glibenclamide.

Adolescent↗

C-peptide secretion during the remission phase of juvenile diabetes.

C-peptide secretion was studied in eight juvenile diabetics during the remission phase of the disease. The release of C-peptide was measured after a (1) normal intravenous glucose tolerance test, (2) a double glucose tolerance test, (3) an arginine infusion, and (4) after an intravenous glucose tolerance test followed by an arginine infusion. Under all conditions the intravenous glucose load had only a minimal effect on the secretion of C-peptide, while arginine alone or after the intravenous glucose tolerance test stimulated the release of the peptide in all patients. Pretreatment with glucose did not augment the effect of arginine on C-peptide release. The results indicate that during the remission phase of juvenile-onset diabetes the endocrine pancreas does not recognize glucose as and appropriate signal for C-peptide release and cannot transform the amplifying effect of glucose into a higher hormonal secretion rate.

Adolescent↗

[Insulin treatment of decompensated diabetes mellitus with a new artificial endocrine pancreas (author's transl)].

During the past decades insulin has been given in relatively high doses when treating diabetic coma. Recently low-dose insulin treatment has been proposed by several groups. In the reported investigation insulin was initially given in moderate to high doses (12-200 U/h) with a steady reduction in dose during the course of treatment. Insulin infusion was regulated either manually with an adjustable infusion pump (7 patients) or automatically with an artificial endocrine pancreas (glucose-controlled insulin infusion system; 11 patients). Thus 18 patients with decompensated diabetes mellitus (coma or precoma) were treated. In 14 patients with ketoacidotic decompensation laboratory data on hospital admission were: blood glucose 7.35 +/- 0.61 g/l, serum potassium 4.7 +/- 0.4 mmol/l, pH 7.1 +/- 0.04, base excess - 19,7 +/- 2.2 mmol/l (x +/- SEM). The other patients had hyperglycaemic or hyperosmolar non-ketotic decompensation. In all patients controlled reduction of blood glucose levels was achieved within 2.3 to 18 hours. The amounts of insulin infused during this ranged from 17 to 320 units, but in one instance was 1950 units. There were no complications.

Adolescent↗

Human C-peptide. Part I: Radioimmunoassay.

Synthetic human C-peptide bearing a Tyrosine group at its amino end is labelled with 125iodine using chloramin T or hydrogen peroxide and lactoperoxidase. The results are compared applying both methods. Antiserum to synthetic human C-peptide (without Tyrosine) which was partially compared to rabbit albumin, is raised in guinea pigs and goats. Goats show to be superior to guinea pigs concerning antibody production. The so-called "hook effect" phenomenon is observed in setting up the standard curves for the radioimmunoassay. Monotonically decreasing standard curves are obtained on dilution of antiserum with a high antibody titer which was produced by repeated immunization in goats. Free C-peptide and C-peptide bound to antiserum are separated with the anxion exchange resin Amberlite. Using this separation technique we excluded unspecific binding of labelled C-peptide to protein fractions in serum of diabetics. The sensitivity of our radioimmunoassay is approx. 0.3 ng C-peptide/ml serum. Intra- and interassay variability are below 10%. Human proinsulin is the only substance found to crossreact with the antiserum.

Animals↗

Human C-peptide. Part II: Clinical studies.

Human C-peptide is determined by radioimmunoassay. On gel filtration of serum from a healthy subject and from a patient with islet cell carcinoma, C-peptide (MW 3025) appears ahead of insulin (MW 5808) and shows much higher molar concentrations than the hormone. Human proinsulin cross-reacts with our antiserum to synthetic human C-peptide. On direct determination of immunomeasurable C-peptide (IMCP) in fasting serum of 25 healthy subjects we find an average of 1.8 (+/- 0.4) ng/ml, corresponding to 60.4 X 10(-11) Mol/l. The molar concentration is about five-fold as compared to IMI (immuno-measurable insulin). IMCP and IMI patterns are not identical on stimulation of beta-cell secretion in healthy subjects by i.v. glucose or glucose-glibenclamide. This is probably due to differences in peripheral metabolism of both compounds. We conclude from our results that C-peptide determined in peripheral venous serum is a better indicator of beta-cell secretion than is insulin. Among 26 insulin-treated juvenile diabetics 15 show not measurable and 11 subnormal IMCP levels in fasting serum. No rise in IMCP is found 1-2 h following breakfast. Four juvenile patients receiving no insulin in a phase of total diabetes remission have normal or raised fasting IMCP concentrations. Only 2 out of 24 adult diabetics (16 treated with insulin and 8 with tablets) show non-measurable fasting IMCP concentrations, in another 4 patients values are below and in the remaining 18 cases above 1 ng/ml serum. Stimulation of beta-cell secretion through glucose-glibenclamide is more or less impaired in all adult diabetics compared to the healthy subjects.

C-Peptide↗

Attempts at perfect normalization of glucose tolerance test of severe diabetics by artificial beta cell.

The artificial beta cell is a Glucose Controlled Insulin (and dextrose) Infusion System (GCIIS) for maintaining normoglycemia in diabetic conditions and other disturbances of metabolism. The insulin and dextrose infusion rates are calculated by a microcomputer according to the static glucose concentration (proportional control) and to its rate of change (dynamic control). The algorithms controlling the computer can be adapted to the subjects' requirements. It has already been shown, that the artificial beta cell is able to maintain blood sugar values in diabetics within physiological ranges during the course of the day. In our present study we examined the response of the artificial beta cell using a 100 gm oral glucose load in severe diabetics. The first type of control algorithms applied effected a rather small initial insulin infusion following OGTT in 8 juvenile diabetics connected with the artificial beta cell. The glucose responses thus obtained were similar to latent diabetes. In contrast, when the computer was controlled by the second type of algorithms with a more responsive dynamic control and a consequently higher initial insulin infusion, in one diabetic OGTT was fully normalized, whereas an improvement was achieved in another diabetic patient. Furthermore it was shown that control algorithms must be varied individually, depending on residual beta cell function and glucose regulatory mechanisms.

Blood Glucose↗

Hypoglycemia in diabetics.

Hypoglycemia in diabetes can be divided into 1) spontaneous hypoglycemic reactions due to absolute or relative overproduction of endogenous insulin or some other blood glucose-lowering substance, as in islet cell adenoma or carcinoma, latent or protodiabetic conditions, (extrapancreatic) tumors and pituitary and/or adrenal disorders; and 2) hypoglycemia caused by exogenous, i.e. therapeutic, measures. The problem of hypoglycemia in insulin-treated diabetics is far from being solved. As revealed by continuous blood glucose monitoring, nocturnal hypoglycemic attacks frequently escape attention especially in juvenile diabetics. Circadian variations in peripheral glucose utilization, rather than changes in plasma insulin activity, are likely to be involved in this mechanism. At least, this was the conclusion drawn from studies carried out by means of a glucose-controlled insulin and glucose infusion system (GCIGIS) -or artificial pancreas-which delivers short-acting insulin and glucose on demand intravenously. Hypoglycemic reactions in patients being treated with oral anti-diabetic agents, on the other hand, should be regarded primarily as one of the side reactions intrinsic to the mechanism of action of some of these drugs, e.g. sulfonylureas, which act mainly via stimulation of secretion of endogenous insulin reserves not responding properly to postprandial blood glucose increments. In the case of glibenclamide, at least partial resensitization of the defective glucose receptor of the beta-cell also becomes operative. A higher incidence of a characteristic type of hypoglycemic reaction was observed soon after glibenclamide therapy was introduced. Better understanding of the drug and dissemination of the information about it to doctors and patients has reduced the number of hypoglycemic reactions caused by glibenclamide to the same proportions as for other sulfonylureas. Hypoglyoemia following therapeutic hypophysectomy retains its position as one of the main hazards of this heroic therapy.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗

High-molecular IRI (big, big insulin) in islet cell adenoma.

In agreement with data previously reported (Yalow and Berson 1973), after gel filtration of acid-ethanol extracts of islet cell adenomas (performed in 3 M acetic acid) 1.4% to 1.8% of total immunoreactive insulin (IRI) eluted ahead of proinsulin. The high-molecular IRI (HM-IRI) was, however, found to be heterogenous in size and consisted of at least three components, the major one having an estimated molecular weight of about 50,000. Under certain conditions, HM-IRI was partially dissociated into proinsulin- and insulin-like components. We conclude that HM-IRI does not represent a precursor of proinsulin and insulin, but probably a self-association product of the peptides or an association of insulin and proinsulin to other proteins extracted from tumor tissue.

Adenoma↗

Insulin secretion in the perinatal period of the rat in vivo and in vitro effects of glucose and gibenclamide (HB 419).

During the perinatal period of the rat the effect of glucose and glibenclamide (HB 419) on the secretion of insulin was studied in vivo and in vitro. In the in vitro experiments isolated islets of 21 day old fetal and 5 day old newborn rats were perifused wtih 16.7 mM glucose or 16.7 mM glucose plus 1 mug/ml glibenclamide, while in the in vivo ecperiments glucose, 0.5 g/kg of body weight, or glibenclamide, 0.5 mg/kg of body weight were tested. Glucose elicited a small first phase of insulin release in 21 days old fetal islets, while glucose plus glibenclamide evoked a biphasic pattern. The injection of glibenclamide to the mother lowered the blood sugar in the fetus and increased the fetal serum insulin concentration. In one day old newborn rats glibenclamide stimulated the secretion of insulin after an i.p. injection. Glucose was without effect. Both substances increaseded the serum insulin concentration in five day old newborn animals. Dynamic studies at that age revealed a monophasic response to glucose and a biphasic pattern to glucose plus glibenclamide.

Animals↗

Chromatographic heterogeneity of insulin extracted from insulomas.

On gel filtration of acid-ethanol extracts from three pancreatic beta-cell adenomas 1.4% to 1.8% of total immunomeasurable insulin (IMI) eluted ahead of proinsulin. This high molecular IMI was resolved into three components. The presence of urea in the dilute acetic acid solutions of extracted tumor tissue did not influence the pattern of gel filtration. High molecular IMI dissolved in dilute acetic acid showed to be stable if immediately rechromatographed, but a partial dissociation to insulinlike and proinsulinlike components (ILC and PLC) was found if rechromatography was performed after 48 h of incubation. Mainly ILC and PLC were found on rechromatography provided high molecular IMI was dissolved and incubated briefly in 0.04M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. It proved improbable that the proteolytic action of some protein being extracted with the hormones caused a splitting of high molecular IMI at pH 7.4. We conclude from our findings that the components of high molecular IMI are not precursors of proinsulin and insulin but are either self-associated products of the hormones or associations of insulin and proinsulin to other proteins extracted from insuloma tissue.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗