Circulating levels of active ghrelin is associated with abdominal adiposity, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between the circulating level of active ghrelin and abdominal adiposity, serum levels of insulin or insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.


METHODS
We measured the plasma levels of the active form of ghrelin in 18 obese and 18 nonobese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using a radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit. Body fat accumulation was measured by computed tomography (CT) and insulin resistance by the glucose infusion rate (GIR) during an euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp study.


RESULTS
Plasma levels of ghrelin in obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were significantly decreased compared with nonobese patients. There were significant correlations between the plasma levels of ghrelin and BMI (r=-0.505, P<0.01), visceral (r=-0.444, P<0.01), subcutaneous (r=-0.506, P<0.01) and total (r=-0.534, P<0.01) fat area, serum levels of insulin (r=-0.513, P<0.01) or GIR (r=0.478, P<0.01) in type 2 diabetic patients. The plasma level of ghrelin was significantly associated with serum levels of insulin (F=8.468, P<0.05) or GIR (F=8.522, P<0.05) after adjustment for BMI in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.


CONCLUSIONS
Decreased plasma levels of active ghrelin are significantly associated with abdominal adiposity, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients. Hyperinsulinemia associated with insulin resistance may suppress plasma levels of active ghrelin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Katsuki
Akira
A
The Department of Internal Medicine, Diabetology and Endocrinology Division, Mie University School of Medicine, Japan.
Urakawa
Hideki
H
Gabazza
Esteban C
EC
Murashima
Shuichi
S
Nakatani
Kaname
K
Togashi
Kenji
K
Yano
Yutaka
Y
Adachi
Yukihiko
Y
Sumida
Yasuhiro
Y
D000005:Abdomen; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin; D005947:Glucose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000209:etiology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood*
D054439:Ghrelin; D007328:Insulin; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D005947:Glucose