Serum levels of insulin (IRI), total glucagons (GLI), cortisol, glucose and free fatty acids were measured in 14 normal subjects and in 6 diabetic patients. All of them were hospitalized, but not con- , fined to bed and were given 3 daily meals of identical carbohydrate, fat and protein content. Blood samples were collected through an indwelling venous catheter at hourly intervals for 72 h. In addition, three 15-min samples were collected after each meal. The study was repeated about 1 month later, during the last 3 days of a period of chlorpropamide treatment. The results confirm the existence of a diurnal cycle in serum cortisol in normal and diabetic subjects. Diurnal variations in the postprandial glucose response of normal subjects and in the postprandial IRI response of diabetic patients were observed, but they may have been drug-induced. Chlorpropamide treatment had no significant effects in normal subjects, but was followed by a decrease in the concentration of serum GLI and by an increase in the fasting levels of IRI and in the IRI response to meals in diabetic patients. These changes may explain the restraining effect that the drug had on postprandial hyperglycemia. The results of our experiments suggest that the therapeutic effect of chlorpropamide in adult onset diabetic patients may be due to a combination of an increased release of insulin and a decreased release of total gucagon in response to the ingestion of food. The difference in the response of normal and diabetic subjects to prolonged chlorpropamide treatment remains unexplained, but may account for some of the conflicting reports on the effects of sulfonylurea derivatives on insular function.

Keywords:
Glucagon diurnal cycles, Insulin diurnal cycles, Cortisol diurnal cycles, Glucose diurnal cycles, Free fatty acids diurnal cycles, Chlorpropamide, effect on serum insulin and glucagon
This content is only available via PDF.
© 1974 S. Karger AG, Basel
1974
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.