Effect of alcohol on glucose tolerance in normal and noninsulin-dependent diabetic subjects.
Oral glucose tolerance tests were conducted in 10 noninsulin-dependent diabetic and 14 healthy control subjects with a 75-g glucose load. The tests were repeated 1 week later with 43 g of ethanol mixed with the glucose. Blood samples were analyzed for ethanol, glucose, insulin, C-peptide, and glucagon levels. The blood ethanol peak was nearly equal in diabetic and control subjects (mean +/- SEM values of 55 +/- 8 and 48 +/- 6 mg/dl 45 min after ethanol ingestion). Ethanol did not affect glucose tolerance in either of the study groups. Mean +/- SEM values of the sum of the increment above the baseline glucose level were 659 +/- 48 vs. 675 +/- 76 mg/dl with or without ethanol in diabetics and 227 +/- 35 vs. 244 +/- 36 mg/dl in control subjects. The plasma insulin and C-peptide responses to glucose were delayed in diabetic patients compared to controls but were not affected by ethanol. In vitro, ethanol, at a concentration of 100 mg/dl or greater, significantly decreased insulin binding to erythrocytes in a dose-related manner. Scatchard analysis of competitive insulin binding to erythrocytes indicated that ethanol reduced insulin binding affinity (1.6 +/- 0.5 vs. 4.2 +/- 0.8 x 10(8)/M), but not binding capacity (4.5 +/- 2.4 vs. 4.4 +/- 1.7 nM, with and without ethanol, respectively).
Singh
S P
SP
Department of Medicine, Chicago Medical School, North Chicago, Illinois.
Kumar
Y
Y
Snyder
A K
AK
Ellyin
F E
FE
Gilden
J L
JL
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000502:physiology*; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005934:Glucagon / Q000097:blood; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000378:metabolism
D002096:C-Peptide; D007328:Insulin; D000431:Ethanol; D005934:Glucagon; D011972:Receptor, Insulin