Effects of glucagon on islet beta cell function in patients with diabetes mellitus / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate islet beta cell response to intravenous glucagon (a non-glucose secretagogue) stimulation in diabetes mellitus.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Nineteen patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and 131 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) were recruited in this study. T2D patients were divided into two groups according to therapy 36 cases treated with insulin and 95 cases treated with diet or oral therapy. The serum C-peptide levels were determined at fasting and six minutes after intravenous injection of 1 mg of glucagon.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both fasting and 6-minute post-glucagon-stimulated C-peptide levels in T1D patients were significantly lower than those of T2D patients (0.76 +/- 0.36 ng/mL vs. 1.81 +/- 0.78 ng/mL, P < 0.05; 0.88 +/- 0.42 ng/mL vs. 3.68 +/- 0.98 ng/mL, P < 0.05). In T1D patients, the C-peptide level after injection of glucagon was similar to the fasting level. In T2D, patients treated with diet or oral drug had a significantly greater fasting and stimulated C-peptide level than those patients received insulin therapy (2.45 +/- 0.93 ng/mL vs. 1.61 +/- 0.68 ng/mL, P < 0.05; 5.26 +/- 1.24 ng/mL vs. 2.15 +/- 0.76 ng/mL, P < 0.05). The serum C-peptide level after glucagon stimulation was positively correlated with C-peptide levels at fasting in all three groups (r = 0.76, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The 6-minute glucagon test is valuable in assessing the function of islet beta cell in patients with diabetes mellitus. It is helpful for diagnosis and treatment of diabetes mellitus.</p>