title: Investigation of the prolonged hypoglycemic effect of human proinsulin in diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Human proinsulin possesses a clear hypoglycemic effect, the extent and kinetics of which were investigated in 8 insulin dependent diabetics. In addition, to adequate therapy with a controlled-release insulin, each patient received i.v. injections of insulin (e U) and proinsulin (9 U) on separate test days. After 9 U of proinsulin, the blood glucose decrease was delayed in comparison to 3 U of insulin. However, it reached identical maximum blood glucose decrease values. The elimination kinetics of proinsulin are delayed compared to insulin. There is a linear relation between the time and the reciprocal value of the measured insulin immuno-reactivity. The hypoglycemic effect of proinsulin which is protracted for hours corresponds to that of an extreme controlled-release insulin. Under certain conditions, proinsulin might therefore prove effective in the long-term treatment of the insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: III. Med. Klinik und Poliklinik, Universität Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Laube
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pinter
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Federlin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007700:Kinetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D011384:Proinsulin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D007328:Insulin; D011384:Proinsulin