The effects of inorganic chromium and brewer's yeast supplementation on glucose tolerance, serum lipids and drug dosage in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of supplementation with organic and inorganic chromium on glucose tolerance, serum lipids, and drug dosage in type 2 diabetes patients, in the hope of finding a better and more economical method of control. METHODS: Seventy eight type 2 diabetes patients were divided randomly into two groups and given Brewer's yeast (23.3ug Cr/day), and CrCl3 (200ug Cr/day) sequentially with placebo in between, in a double blind cross-over design of four stages, each lasting 8 weeks. At the beginning and end of each stage, subjects were weighed, their dietary data and drug dosage recorded, and blood and urine samples were collected for analysis of glucose (fasting and 2 hour post 75g glucose load) fructosamine, triglycerides, total and HDL-cholesterol, and serum and urinary chromium. RESULTS: Both supplements caused a significant decrease in the means of glucose (fasting and 2 hour post glucose load), fructosamine and triglycerides. The means of HDL-cholesterol, and serum and urinary chromium were all increased. The mean drug dosage decreased slightly (and significantly in case of Glibenclamide) after both supplements and some patients no longer required insulin. No change was noted in dietary intakes or Body Mass Index. A higher percentage of subjects responded positively to Brewer's yeast chromium, which was retained more by the body, with effects on fructosamine, triglycerides, and HDL-cholesterol maintained in some subjects when placebo followed it, and mean urinary chromium remaining significantly higher than zero time mean. CONCLUSION: Chromium supplementation gives better control of glucose and lipid variables while decreasing drug dosage in type 2 diabetes patients. A larger scale study is needed to help decide on the convenient chemical form, and dosage required to achieve optimal response.

Defective collagen metabolism in Saudi patients with hernia.

Fibroblastic cell cultures were derived from the hernial sac and some of the surrounding muscles (rectus sheath, internal oblique, and/or cremasteric muscle) of 130 Saudi patients with different types of herniation, and from 21 control subjects. The rates of cell proliferation were studied for 39 days. Results suggested decreased rates of proliferation of cells derived from patients compared to controls. In vitro studies of the rates of incorporation of 14C proline into the muscle biopsies revealed decreased rates of label incorporation in the samples derived from patients compared to controls. However, no differences were detected between rates of collagenase activities of the biopsies obtained from patients compared to those of controls. These findings suggest that collagen synthesis is probably defective in the studied group of Saudi patients with hernia.

Effect of Red Sea sponge extracts on blood glucose levels in normal mice.

The effects of extracts from 6 species of Red Sea sponges at two oral dose levels on blood glucose in normal mice were studied. Most extracts showed a hyperglycemic effect. An ethanol extract of Haliclona virdis showed a significant hypoglycemic effect lasting for more than 8 h after single oral doses of 200 or 500 mg/kg to normal mice.

Fructosamine as a screening-test for gestational diabetes mellitus: a reappraisal.

Fructosamine, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and serum total proteins were measured in normal nondiabetic pregnant women (n = 170) at three stages of pregnancy (14-18, 24-28, and 32-40 weeks of gestation). No significant correlation was found between fructosamine and either HbA1c or total plasma proteins. Only early in pregnancy (less than 20 weeks of gestation) was a correlation found between fructosamine and fasting blood glucose (r = 0.40, P less than 0.05). There was also no correlation between either tests (i.e. fructosamine and HbA1c) and fetal birthweight. The value of fructosamine measurement in the detection of diabetes in pregnancy was further tested in a group of high-risk patients (n = 98) for developing carbohydrate intolerance. It is concluded that fructosamine has limited value as a screening test for gestational diabetes mellitus, particularly for the mild form of the glucose intolerance.

Level of serum fructosamine in Saudi diabetic patients.

Fructosamine, a compound used to measure serum glycosylated proteins was assayed in 105 Saudi diabetic subjects and 54 healthy non-diabetic Saudi subjects. Fructosamine concentrations in diabetics were significantly higher than in healthy controls (p less than 0.0005). Fructosamine concentrations correlated significantly with fasting blood glucose and HbA1 in diabetics (r = 0.677, p less than 0.0005, and r = 0.598, p less than 0.0005, respectively). The correlation between fructosamine and HbA1 was significant in the oral hypoglycemic-treated diabetics and poor in the insulin-treated diabetic group (r = 0.568, p less than 0.0005, and r = 0.526, p = 0.01). Fructosamine concentrations correlated poorly with the duration of diabetes (r = 0.221, p less than 0.05).

Effect of aloes on blood glucose levels in normal and alloxan diabetic mice.

The acute and chronic effects of the exudate of Aloe barbadensis leaves and its bitter principle were studied on plasma glucose levels of alloxan-diabetic mice. Aloes was administered orally, 500 mg/kg, and the bitter principle was administered intraperitoneally, 5 mg/kg. The hypoglycemic effect of a single oral dose of aloes on serum glucose level was insignificant whereas that of the bitter principle was very highly significant and extended over a period of 24 h with maximum hypoglycemia observed at +8 h. In chronic studies, aloes was administered twice daily and the bitter principle was administered once a day for 4 days. The maximum reduction in plasma glucose level was observed at the 5th day in both cases. The hypoglycemic effect of aloes and its bitter principle may be mediated through stimulating synthesis and/or release of insulin from the beta-cells of Langerhans.

Effect of Trigonella foenum graceum on blood glucose levels in normal and alloxan-diabetic mice.

The hypoglycemic effects of a decoction and an ethanol extract of Trigenolla foenum graceum seeds on the serum glucose levels of normal and alloxan diabetic mice were studied. A single 0.5 ml oral dose of 40-80% decoctions to normal as well as alloxanized mice was followed by hypoglycemia developed over a 6-h period. Reduction in blood glucose concentration was highly significant, was maximum at 6 h and was dose-dependent. The hypoglycemia caused by the ethanol extract (200-400 mg/kg) in alloxanized mice was also dose-dependent and 200 mg/kg was comparable in effect to 200 mg/kg tolbutamide.

Levels of glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin in Saudi diabetic patients.

Seventy three (23 males and 50 females) Saudi diabetic patients and thirty (19 males and 11 females) control Saudi non-diabetic volunteers aged from 16 to 70 years were examined for glucose and HbA1 levels in fasting blood plasma during one year. There was no correlation between HbA1 levels and either age, sex or duration of diabetes. However, a linear relationship existed between HbA1 levels and those of fasting plasma glucose. Moreover the concentration of HbA1 in Saudi diabetics were significantly (P less than 0.001) higher than those in non-diabetic volunteers. The levels of HbA1 in patients on insulin were significantly lower than those on oral hypoglycemics (P less than 0.001) and those on diet only (P less than 0.001).

Effects of Salvadora persica extracts on mice exploratory locomotion activities.

The effects of Salvadora persica extracts on mice exploratory locomotor activities and stereotype movements have been determined. Mice injected with Salvadora persica extracts showed significantly low exploratory locomotor activity. The total distance travelled by naive mice injected with saline, during the first 5 min of introduction into an activity cage (Session 1) was 1007 +/- 105 cm/5 min, in contrast to 800 +/- 75, 540 +/- 100 and 330 +/- 55 cm/5 min for naive mice injected i.p. with 5.7, 14.3 and 28.6 ml/kg Salvadora persica extract. The exploratory locomotion of Salvadora persica treated mice declined faster than that of the controls. Mice injected with Salvadora persica extract also showed a significantly lower number of stereotype movements (P less than 0.05). The stereotype movements of the control was 175 +/- 5 movements/5 min and 90 +/- 10, 118 +/- 15 and 35 +/- 11 for mice injected with 5.7, 14.3 and 28.6 ml/kg, Salvadora persica extract, respectively.