title: Intravenous glucose tolerance and pancreatic islet beta-cell function in patients with multiple sclerosis during 2-yr treatment with cyclosporin.
abstract: Cyclosporin is an immunosuppressive drug used with increasing frequency in patients with diabetes mellitus both as experimental primary therapy for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and as therapy accompanying pancreatic transplantation. However, reports have appeared contending that cyclosporin causes glucose intolerance and inhibits pancreatic islet beta-cell function. Consequently, concern has been raised that the beneficial effects of immunosuppression may be offset by adverse metabolic effects of the drug. To address this issue, we examined intravenous glucose tolerance and pancreatic islet beta-cell function in a group of nondiabetic multiple sclerosis patients before and during a 2-yr course of cyclosporin or placebo therapy. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the two drug groups and followed in a double-blind manner. Basal levels of glucose, insulin, and C-peptide as well as glucose disappearance rates and pancreatic islet beta-cell function after stimulation with intravenous glucose and arginine were determined immediately before therapy and after 3 wk, 6 mo, 1 yr, and 2 yr of therapy. No abnormalities in these parameters were observed in the cyclosporin of the placebo-treated group. It appears that cyclosporin can be give in conventional doses for as long as 2 yr without encountering evidence for impaired glucose homeostasis. However, whether adverse effects will materialize over longer periods of drug use remains a question.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000032:analysis; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D003524:Cyclosporins; D007328:Insulin