Effect of nicotinamide treatment on the residual insulin secretion in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients.
In vivo and in vitro experiments have shown that nicotinamide enhances the regeneration of rat B cells. Nicotinamide has been administered to human subjects at a dose of 3 g/day for more than one year without any serious side effects. A trial was conducted to study if nicotinamide could protect B cells in Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with established diabetes, but still with residual insulin secretion, the latter being evaluated throughout the study period. A randomized double-blind study was carried out on 26 Type I diabetic patients aged 15 to 40 years who had been treated with insulin for 1 to 5 years but who had a residual insulin secretion characterized by a glucagon stimulated C-peptide level higher than 0.1 nmol/l. They were given either 3 g/day of nicotinamide or a placebo for nine months. At baseline the treated and control groups did not differ according to age, diabetes duration, insulin dose, HbA1c or C-peptide levels. Three patients dropped out of the study. At 9 months there were no significant changes in the insulin doses required. However, HbA1c rose in the control group (8.1 +/- 0.4 vs 9.8 +/- 0.5%, p less than 0.05) but not in the nicotinamide treated group (7.5 +/- 0.5 vs 6.9 +/- 0.4%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Vague
P
P
Service de Diabétologie, Centre Hospital Universitaire Timone, Marseille, France.
Picq
R
R
Bernal
M
M
Lassmann-Vague
V
V
Vialettes
B
B
D000328:Adult; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005934:Glucagon; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009536:Niacinamide / Q000494:pharmacology*
D002096:C-Peptide; D005934:Glucagon; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D007328:Insulin; D009536:Niacinamide