Short-term of the artificial beta-cell (Biostator) on pancreatic glucagon response in insulin-dependent diabetic...

The short-term effect of the glucose-controlled insulin infusion system (GCIIS) Biostator on metabolic and hormonal responses to a 2 h glucose infusion (0.33 g/kg body weight glucose i.v. followed by an infusion of 12 mg/kg/min) was studied in 8 insulin-dependent diabetic patients (IDDM). Normalization of glucose tolerance by means of GCIIS was associated with significant improvement of lipid metabolism in IDDM. Endogenous insulin secretion (C-peptide) was not altered significantly under the experimental conditions. The results demonstrate that immunoreactive glucagon response to intravenous glucose infusion was restored by treatment with GCIIS in IDDM irrespective of no prolonged duration of normoglycemia. The results provide further support that abnormal glucagon response in some IDDM is secondary to insulin deficiency.