Meal-time intranasal insulin delivery in type 2 diabetes

Correction of the deficiency of early meal-time insulin secretion, using intravenous insulin in patients with Type 2 diabetes causes substantial improvement in post-prandial hyperglycaemia. The present study was designed to determine whether similar benefit would result from physiological supplementation using intranasal insulin delivery. Six patients with Type 2 diabetes were studied twice during a standard mixed meal. At the start of the meal they received a single intranasal spray containing either 15 units of insulin in 1% sodium glycocholate (adjuvant agent) or glycocholate alone (placebo) in a single-blind fashion. Intranasal insulin delivery resulted in rapid absorption of insulin with peak levels (92 +/- 8 (+/- SE) mU l-1) within 5-10 min. Peak insulin levels were at least equal to those in non-diabetic subjects, though occurring at an earlier time-point. However, no significant improvement in post-prandial hyperglycaemia was seen (peak blood glucose increment 4.9 +/- 0.6 vs 5.4 +/- 0.5 mmol l-1; total 3-h response 611 +/- 53 vs 668 +/- 41 mmol l-1 min). We conclude that an elevation of insulin levels, earlier and more transient than the normal physiological response, achieved by intranasal insulin delivery at the start of a meal, fails to significantly improve the blood glucose excursion in Type 2 diabetes.