Conventional and sprinkler needle injection of magnesium insulin

Currently available short-acting insulin preparations fail to mimic the postprandial insulin profile of non-diabetic individuals. The activity of a novel insulin designed for faster absorption has been tested after subcutaneous injection. Magnesium insulin (50 U ml-1) given by sprinkler needle was compared with unmodified human insulin (100 U ml-1) given by conventional needle and unmodified human insulin (50 U ml-1) given by sprinkler needle in normal volunteers using a euglycaemic clamp. Magnesium insulin had a significantly faster onset of action resulting in a higher exogenous insulin level by 15 min, peak level was reached after 60 min compared with 75 min for the unmodified insulins, and duration of action was significantly shorter than both unmodified insulins. No significant differences were observed between the unmodified insulins for the first 5 h after injection, indicating that the observed differences to magnesium insulin could not be attributed to the insulin concentration or the type of needle used for insulin administration. Injection of magnesium insulin prior to a test breakfast in people with Type 2 diabetes resulted in significantly lower total and 0 to 120 min areas under the glucose curve, an earlier rise in exogenous insulin levels and a higher area under the insulin curve from 0 to 120 min compared with unmodified 100 U ml-1 human insulin.