Glucagon stimulation test: assessment of beta-cell function in gestational diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
Because women with gestational diabetes mellitus have a risk of up to 60% for the later development of type II diabetes, we used the intravenous glucagon stimulation test to evaluate beta-cell function in pregnant women.


METHODS
Twenty-seven pregnant women with one or more risk factors for gestational diabetes had an intravenous beta-cell stimulation test. Glucose, C-peptide and insulin levels were measured at baseline and 5, 10 and 15 min after the administration of 1 mg glucagon. The women were classified using the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test according to World Health Organization criteria. During the oral glucose tolerance test glucose, C-peptide and insulin levels were measured at baseline and at 2 h.


RESULTS
Insulin and C-peptide responses were significantly lower in pregnant women with impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes compared with women with normal glucose tolerance.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows gradually decreasing insulin secretion from normal to subnormal in pregnant women without and with glucose intolerance, and diabetes mellitus, respectively.
Jacobs
M L
ML
Department of Internal Medicine III and Clinical Endocrinology, University Hospital Dijkzigt, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Verhoog
S
S
van der Linden
W H
WH
Huisman
W M
WM
Wallenburg
H C
HC
Weber
R F
RF
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood*; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005934:Glucagon; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007700:Kinetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D007328:Insulin; D005934:Glucagon