Clinical evaluation of biosynthetic glucagon treatment for recovery from hypoglycemia developed in diabetic patients. The GL-G Hypoglycemia Study Group.
Biosynthetic glucagon (GL-G) produced by recombinant DNA technology with transformed yeast strains is already available for clinical use. We studied the effects of 1 mg GL-G injection on plasma glucose level and hypoglycemic symptoms in 38 diabetic patients treated with insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents during spontaneous hypoglycemic episodes. In both intramuscularly and intravenously administered GL-G groups, plasma glucose significantly increased from 58.1 +/- 11.4 to 113.2 +/- 6.9 mg/dl (i.m., n = 17, P < 0.01) and from 76.4 +/- 4.4 to 125.7 +/- 5.9 mg/dl (i.v., n = 15, P < 0.01), respectively 20 min after the administration and the symptoms due to hypoglycemia subsided promptly after the injection of GL-G in 27 cases. The hyperglycemic effect of intramuscularly injected GL-G was more potent and long-standing than when intravenously injected, particularly in insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) patients. Neither significant changes of antibody levels against yeast proteins nor serious adverse effects were observed after GL-G administration. Biosynthetic glucagon is safe and useful for the treatment of hypoglycemia developing in diabetic patients.
Namba
M
M
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Hanafusa
T
T
Kono
N
N
Tarui
S
S
D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005934:Glucagon / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007328:Insulin / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005934:Glucagon