Relationship between serum butyrylcholinesterase activity, hypertriglyceridaemia and insulin sensitivity in diabetes mellitus.
1. The activity of serum butyrylcholinesterase ('pseudocholinesterase', EC3.1.1.8) was investigated in 56 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, 51 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 101 healthy control subjects. 2. Butyrylcholinesterase activity was significantly elevated in both type 1 (8.10 +/- 3.35 units/ml) and type 2 (7.22 +/- 1.95 units/ml) diabetes compared with the control subjects (4.23 +/- 1.89 units/ml) (P < 0.001). 3. In the patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, serum butyrylcholinesterase activity was correlated with log serum fasting triacylglycerol concentration (r = 0.41 and r = 0.43, respectively, P < 0.001). In the type 2 population serum butyrylcholinesterase activity was also correlated with insulin sensitivity (r = -0.51, P < 0.001). 4. Serum butyrylcholinesterase activity was unrelated to age, gender, serum gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase activity, body mass index, or treatment for diabetes in both the diabetic populations. 5. In 37 non-diabetic patients with butyrylcholinesterase deficiency serum triacylglycerol levels were in the normal range. 6. These results are consistent with the view that butyrylcholinesterase may have a role in the altered lipoprotein metabolism in hypertriglyceridaemia associated with insulin insensitivity or insulin deficiency in diabetes mellitus.
Abbott
C A
CA
University Department of Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, U.K.
Mackness
M I
MI
Kumar
S
S
Olukoga
A O
AO
Gordon
C
C
Arrol
S
S
Bhatnagar
D
D
Boulton
A J
AJ
Durrington
P N
PN
D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000097:blood*; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male
D007328:Insulin; D008074:Lipoproteins; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase