Prostaglandin E1 accelerates subcutaneous insulin absorption in insulin-dependent diabetic patients

The powerful vasodilator, prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), was added to Actrapid insulin to try to accelerate the early phase of subcutaneous insulin absorption through increasing injection site blood flow. Actrapid insulin alone (6U) and insulin containing PGE1 (7.5 X 10(-6) M) were injected on different days into 13 fasting insulin-dependent diabetics. With the insulin/PGE1 mixture, increases in both free and total plasma insulin concentrations were greater at all times up to 120 minutes after injection than with insulin alone, with significant differences in the first 40 minutes. With insulin/PGE1 the area under the total plasma insulin curve increased significantly more rapidly between 80 and 120 minutes. Plasma glucose concentrations fell consistently more rapidly with insulin/PGE1 than with insulin alone although the differences were small (mean fall +/- S.E.M. at 120 minutes: 4.9 +/- 0.5 mmol/l vs 4.0 +/- 0.6; p = 0.02). Addition of local hyperaemic agents to short-acting insulin preparations could be therapeutically useful in hastening insulin entry to the circulation at mealtimes.