Effect of glycemic control and hypertension on Serum basic amino acids in type II diabetes mellitus

ABSTRACT

Abnormal insulin secretion has been considered the main cause of changes in carbohydrate lipid and protein metabolism in diabetes mellitus [DM] with increased muscle proteolysis and amino acid mobilization to study the effect of glycemic control and hypertension, on three basic amino acids arginine [Arg.] lysine [Lys] and histidine [His] in type II DM. Fifty five patients with type II diabetes mellitus [DM] were included in the study. They were 39 nortnotensive and 16 hypertensives with different grades of glycemic control as revealed by the level of glycated Hb [HbAk]. Thirty eight were with poor control; HbAlc > 8.5%, [27 normotensives and II hypertensives] while 17 were with acceptable range of control, HbAlc 6.8 - 8.5% [12 normotensives and 5 hypertensives]. Forty non diabetic subjects [28 normotensives and 12 hypertensives] were also included in the study as a control group. Glycatcd Hb [HbAk] was measured by affinity resin column chromatography and serum amino acid analysis was done by reversed high performance liquid chromatography. The results show that type II DM had caused a significant reduction in serum Arg [a precursor of nitric oxide which has an important role in the reduction of diabetic complications] with a significant elevation in serum Lys.while no change in serum His could be seen. Hypertension, on the other hand, has caused a significant elevation in serum His in both diabetics and non diabetics. Serum Arg was not changed while a significant elevation in serum Lys. was found in the non diabetic hypertensive subjects which disappeared in the diabetic hypertensive patients. No effect of the glycemic control on the concentration of any of the three amino acids could be detected in the diabetics of the present study. The possible suggestions and explanations for these events are mentioned