RESUMO
The state of serum insulin and its fractions [Free and bound] in maturity onset diabetes and its role in the pathophysiology of insulin resistance as well as the mode of action of sulfonylurea in current use especially tolbutamide and glibenclamide was studied Several groups of diabetics were investigated including those responsive and unresponsive to sulfonylurea drugs as well as those resistant and non resistant and lastly newly diagnosed diabetics. It was found that free insulin had greater influence than total insulin upon the coincident concentration of plasma glucose in diabetic responsive to sulfonylurea after I.V. injection of tolbutamide. No change in the percentage free/total was revealed after the injection of both drugs, although individual significant increase of free immunoreactive insulin was observed. Maturity onset diabetes could presumably be considered as autoimmune disease, this was due to the presence of anti-insulin antibodies bound to insulin in newly diagnosed diabetics who have never been treated with insulin