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Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Studying the Hypothalamic Insulin Signal to Peripheral Glucose Intolerance with a Continuous Drug Infusion System into the Mouse Brain
Published on: January 4, 2018
Reducing glucose variability with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion is associated with reversal of axonal
Jordan Kamel1,2, Margaret Loh3, Mark Cook1,2
1Department of Neurology and Neurological Research, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Introduction:
We assess whether improvement in control of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) can protect peripheral nerve function.
Methods:
Twelve patients with T1DM treated with multiple daily insulin injections were assessed with nerve excitability testing prior to and 3 months after initiation of CSII.
Results:
Although commencing treatment with CSII for 3 months improved mean glycosylated hemoglobin, it did not significantly alter nerve excitability or glycemic variability (GV). In four patients, some deterioration in GV was observed, while eight patients had improvement in SD and mean amplitude of glycemic excursions. For these eight patients, there was normalization of depolarizing and hyperpolarizing threshold electrotonus and recovery cycle superexcitablity.
Discussion:
When CSII initiation is able to reduce glycemic variability in T1DM, reversal of axonal dysfunction is seen, likely due to normalization of sodium-potassium pump function and restoration of transaxonal membrane potential.
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