Intracellular Counter-regulatory Mechanisms Following Low Blood Glucose
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01919788 |
Recruitment Status
:
Completed
First Posted
: August 9, 2013
Last Update Posted
: February 24, 2016
|
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Diabetes mellitus type I (DMI) is characterized by lack of endogenous insulin and these patients are 100% dependent on insulin substitution to survive. Diabetes mellitus type II (DMII) is characterized by reduced insulin sensitivity and sometimes also reduced insulin production, thus patients with DMII might also be dependent on insulin substitution.
Insulin is produced in- and secreted from the pancreas when blood glucose concentration rises during- and after a meal. Insulin increases cellular uptake of glucose leading to lower blood glucose concentration. Substitution with insulin is/can be necessary in DM, but at the same time it induces the risk of hypoglycemia. This makes treatment with insulin a balancing act between hyper- and hypoglycemia.
A hypoglycemic episode is a dreaded consequence of insulin overdosing, and also a very frequent reason for hospital admission in patients with DM. Examples of hypoglycemic symptoms may be; shaking, a sense of hunger, sweating, irritability progressing to lack of relevant cerebral responses and eventually coma, convulsions and possibly death. People with diabetes lose the ability to sense of low blood glucose with time, because of a lack of appropriate counter-regulatory responses, hereby increasing the risk of severe hypoglycemia. Understanding normal physiologic counter regulatory mechanisms during hypoglycemia is of major importance to patients with DM and has the potential to change medical treatment in diabetes, to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia.
Hypothesis: Hypoglycemia counteracts insulin signaling via hormone-dependent intracellular counter-regulatory mechanisms, involving phosphorylation of specific signaling proteins.
Aim: To define counter-regulatory mechanisms in muscle- and fat tissue during hypoglycemia, and to investigate the effect of insulin on lipid metabolism in healthy- and type I diabetic subjects.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Diabetes Mellitus Type I. Hypoglycemia. | Drug: Insulin (Insuman Rapid) Drug: Glucose Other: Saline | Not Applicable |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 9 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Factorial Assignment |
Masking: | Single (Participant) |
Primary Purpose: | Basic Science |
Official Title: | Intracellular Counter-regulatory Mechanisms Following Low Blood Glucose |
Study Start Date : | August 2013 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | April 2014 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | April 2014 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Placebo Comparator: Control
No insulin administered. Instead of insulin infusion, a small amount of saline is administered to keep the subject blinded. Three muscle biopsies and two fat biopsies will be obtained. A palmitic acid tracer will be given to estimate fatty acid metabolism. Forearm pletysmography will be performed twice. |
Other: Saline |
Experimental: Insulin
Insulin (Insuman Rapid) is administered once as a bolus of 0,1 IU/kg. Three muscle biopsies and two fat biopsies will be obtained. A palmitic acid tracer will be given to estimate fatty acid metabolism Forearm pletysmography will be performed twice
|
Drug: Insulin (Insuman Rapid) |
Experimental: Insulin and glucose
Insulin (Insuman rapid) is administered once as a bolus injection of 0,1 IU/kg and glucose is given at the same time to avoid hypoglycemia in this arm. Three muscle biopsies and to fat biopsies is obtained. A palmitic acid tracer is given to estimate fatty acid metabolism Forearm pletysmography will be performed twice |
Drug: Insulin (Insuman Rapid) Drug: Glucose |
- Insulin and growth hormone signalling, expressed as CHANGE in phosphorylation of intracellular target proteins and mRNA expression of target genes in muscle- and fat-tissue. [ Time Frame: Biopsies obtained on each study day (arm). Muscle biopsies: time (t)= -30min, t= 30min and t= 75min. Fat biopsies: t= 30min and t= 75min ]Change in phosphorylation of target proteins and mRNA expression of target genes assessed with western blotting technique.
- Intracellular markers of lipid metabolism in muscle- and fat tissue biopsies. [ Time Frame: Biopsies obtained on each study day (arm). Muscle biopsies: time (t)= -30min, t= 30min and t= 75min. Fat biopsies: t= 30min and t= 75min ]Assessed by Western blotting.
- Metabolism. [ Time Frame: measured twice on each study day (arm) at t= -30-0 min. and t= 50-80 min. ]Assessment of glucose metabolism by forearm pletysmography and heated hand technique (duration of pletysmography = 30 min.)
- Ghrelin [ Time Frame: Measured at t = -30min., t=0min, t=15min, t= 30min., t=45min., t=60min., t= 75min., t=90min. and t=105min. on each study day (arm) ]
- Metabolism [ Time Frame: once per study day (arm): t 45min - 105min. ]A palmitic acid tracer will be given once per trial day to estimate fatty acid metabolism. Duration 1 hour.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Senior) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | Male |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | Yes |
- BMI > 19 and < 26
- Written Consent
Exclusion Criteria:
- Epilepsy
- Cardiac arrythmia
- Ischemic heart disease
- Other medical illness

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01919788
Denmark | |
Institute of Clinical Medicine | |
Aarhus, Aarhus C, Denmark, 8000 |
Study Chair: | Niels Møller, MD | Aarhus University / Aarhus University Hospital | |
Principal Investigator: | Thomas Voss, MD | Aarhus University / Aarhus University Hospital |
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Responsible Party: | Thomas Schmidt Voss, MD, University of Aarhus |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01919788 History of Changes |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
VEK journal nr.: M-2013-113-13 VEK Journal nr. M-2013-113-13 ( Other Identifier: VEK ) |
First Posted: | August 9, 2013 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | February 24, 2016 |
Last Verified: | February 2016 |
Keywords provided by Thomas Schmidt Voss, University of Aarhus:
Diabetes Mellitus Type I Hypoglycemia Counter-regulatory mechanisms |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Diabetes Mellitus Hypoglycemia Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 Glucose Metabolism Disorders Metabolic Diseases Endocrine System Diseases |
Autoimmune Diseases Immune System Diseases Insulin, Globin Zinc Insulin Hypoglycemic Agents Physiological Effects of Drugs |