Restoration of normal lipid and aminoacid metabolism in diabetic patients treated with a portable insulin-infusion pump.
To determine whether abnormalities of lipid and aminoacid metabolism observed in diabetes are corrected when plasma-glucose levels are restored to normal, eight insulin-dependent diabetics were treated for 7-14 days with a portable infusion pump which delivers insulin subcutaneously in basal (between-meal) doses with pulse-dose increments before meals. Mean plasma-glucose (206 +/- 24 mg/dl during conventional insulin treatment) fell to 89 +/- 3 mg/dl at day 7 and 84 +/- 2 mg/dl at day 14 of pump treatment; glycosuria was eliminated. Plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, and free fatty acids were elevated during conventional insulin treatment but fell to normal after 7 days of pump treatment. Plasma-levels of branched-chain aminoacids were 50-60% above control levels during conventional treatment but fell to normal after 7 days of pump therapy. Aminoacids were reduced from their high postprandial levels to normal values after insulin-pump treatment. In addition to restoring plasma-glucose to normal, treatment of diabetes with a portable insulin-infusion system results in restoration of normal lipid and aminoacid metabolism. Long-term use of this system may determine whether metabolic changes resulting from insulin lack cause the complications of diabetes.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008297:Male; D013594:Syringes
D000596:Amino Acids; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin