title: Indomethacin and aspirin prevent the starvation-induced fall in plasma insulin.
abstract: To investigate whether prostaglandins (PGs) play a role in the regulation of insulin secretion during starvation, we have studied the effects of two inhibitors of PG synthesis, indomethacin (INDO) and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), on plasma insulin during a 72-h fast. Five lean males and six obese females were given 200 mg INDO daily throughout a 72-h fast during which plasma glucose was maintained at normal postabsorptive levels by a continuous infusion of glucose. In addition, four obese females were treated with 3 g ASA in a similar protocol. Another six lean males and six obese females served as a control group, receiving only iv glucose during the fast. In both the lean and obese control subjects, a significant decrease in plasma insulin was noted by 72 h (lean, 53 +/- 8% of basal insulin; obese, 69 +/- 6%; P less than 0.02). By contrast, aspirin and INDO administration prevented the decline in plasma insulin in both lean (INDO, 92 +/- 5%) and obese (INDO, 109 +/- 11%; ASA, 111 +/- 17%) subjects. These data suggest that endogenous PG production may be a controlling factor in insulin secretion during starvation.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001241:Aspirin; D005260:Female; D005934:Glucagon / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007213:Indomethacin; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood; D013217:Starvation
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D005934:Glucagon; D001241:Aspirin; D007213:Indomethacin