Glucagon treatment for Type 1 diabetes

[SilverbladeTE]

http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/60/2/391.abstract
complex, early days, but basically, 2 hormones control blood sugar, nto jsut 1 (insulain, which we all know about)

glucagon's role wasn't so clear, new research suggests that reducing/stopping glucagon could let diabetics live without insulin and blood sugar level swould no longer be a problem, except after extreme exhertion like say a marathon (just need to keep blood sugar up by food/drink in that case).

early days, iirc, limited human trials have started, long term effects of course would be unknown a thtis stage, but interesting stuff!

 

[heapsreal]

do u have type 1 diabetes? I work as a paramedic and come accross alot of diabetics, mainly the unconscios ones. Anyway insulin is needed to allow the blood sugar to enter the cells so they have an energy supply they can use. Without insulin your blood sugar levels would keep rising and u would start to produces ketones for energy but your body can use them without insulin, so as these rise u become very toxic/acidic, symptoms of this a fruity smelling breath, u pee like a race horse and your vision becomes blurry, after a few days of this u become unconscious and die, so we need insulin.

Now glucagon is a hormone secreted in the pancrease to help balance the sugar lower effect of insulin, as sugar levels drop glucagon kicks in and tells the liver to secrete more glycogen and also helps the body to use protein and fats for energy as well. When someone has a hypo/low blood sugar episode causing unconsciousness, maybe from injecting insulin and not eating, glucagon is one treatment used to raise blood sugar and diabetics regain consciouness within 10-15mins. other treatments involve IV glucose but thats another storey.

So insulin and glucagon have a yin and yang relationship, we need them both.
Now that i have read the article it seems that they think some diabetics secrete too much glucagon which raises blood sugar too high, so they are blocking glucagon, sounds like its still on the drawing boards to me.

cheers!!!

 

[rwac]

heaps, I don't know if you've seen this study.
Japanese researchers managed to regulate blood sugar by injecting leptin into the third ventricle of the brain.

Chronic central leptin infusion restores hyperglycemia independent of food intake and insulin level in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Hidaka S, Yoshimatsu H, Kondou S, Tsuruta Y, Oka K, Noguchi H, Okamoto K, Sakino H, Teshima Y, Okeda T, Sakata T.

Department of Internal Medicine I, School of Medicine, Oita Medical University, Oita, 879-5593 Japan.
Abstract

We examined the effects of chronic centrally administered leptin on the glucose metabolism of streptozotocin-induced diabetic (STZ-D) rats, a model for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. When 3 microg.rat(-1).day(-1) of leptin was infused into the third ventricle for 6 consecutive days (STZ-LEP), STZ-D rats became completely euglycemic. The effect was not seen when the same dosage was administered s.c. Centrally administered leptin did not affect peripheral insulin levels. The feeding volume of STZ-LEP rats was suppressed to the level of non-STZ-D control rats. No improvement of hyperglycemia was noted when STZ-D rats were pair-fed to match the feeding volume of STZ-LEP rats. Thus, the euglycemia of STZ-LEP rats cannot be due to the decreased feeding volume. In the STZ-D rat, glucokinase mRNA, a marker of glycolysis, is down-regulated whereas glucose-6-phosphatase mRNA, a marker of gluconeogenesis, and glucose transporter (GLUT) 2, which is implicated in the release of glucose from liver, are up-regulated. GLUT4, uncoupling protein (UCP) 1, and UCP3 were down-regulated in brown adipose tissue. These parameters returned to normal upon central infusion of leptin. GLUT4 was not down-regulated in the skeletal muscle of STZ-D rats; however, fatty acid binding protein and carnitine palmitoyltransferase I, markers for utilization and beta-oxidation of fatty acids, were up-regulated and restored when the rats were treated with leptin. The increase and subsequent decrease of fatty acid utilization suggests a decrease of glucose uptake in the skeletal muscle of STZ-D rats, which was restored upon central leptin administration. We conclude that centrally infused leptin does not control serum glucose by regulating feeding volume or elevating peripheral insulin, but by regulating hepatic glucose production, peripheral glucose uptake, and energy expenditure. The present study indicates the possibility of future development of a new class of anti-diabetic agents that act centrally and independent of insulin action.

 

[heapsreal]

Sounds interesting, i think alot of us have problems handling glucose thats why many prefer low carb diet and alot of us have put weight on, also has to to with the adrenal/thyroid axis. Metformin is a diabetic drug used to help improve insulin sensitivity in those who still produce insulin. I started using metformin when i slowly started putting weight on even on a low carb diet, i have lost about 6-7kg which is about 12lb? with no exercise just low carb and metformin, its help some with energy by stabilizing my glucose levels. Since cfs i ballooned up to 135kg, low carbs got me to 125kg but it was fluctuating, now with metformin im down to 118/119kg, my pre cfs weight was about 105kg, also 6ft1 and was fit?? Leptin would be nice addition to help with weight lose. I think its just another system that go's whacky in cfs.

cheers!!!

 

[SilverbladeTE]

no I don't have diabetes thankfully
mum dad have Type II though and one branch of family has a lot of Type1