Diabetes mellitus--a membrane receptor defect

Insulin secretory dynamics after two consecutive intravenous stimulations with glucose and/or tolbutamide

Intravenous glucose and/or tolbutamide administered in two consecutive pulses 30 and 60 min apart to the same subjects using identical doses showed that insulin secretory responses was altered during a subsequent stimulation and that this was modulated by the time factor. Insulin response was more sustained after the second glucose pulses and the insulin peak response was delayed and diminished if the second glucose dose was given 30 min after the first, but not if given 60 min later. It is suggested that the beta-cell membrane might remain partially depolarized above a certain glucose level or that a postulated signal relay mechanism might become saturated. Responses to two tolbutamide pulses did not show these characteristics; however, the second insulin response was smaller than the first. When the first pulse was glucose and the second tolbutamide, or vice versa, the second responses were altogether different from those elicited by the double doses of either tolbutamide or glucose. To explain these characteristic patterns of insulin secretory dynamics, the existence of occult glucose receptors on the beta-cell that are opened up by tolbutamide was postulated. These studies do not support the two-pool theory, or at least restrict it to glucose-stimulated insulin response. The positive correlations between the first and the second insulin responses in all tests argue strongly against the existence of an insulin feedback mechanism in man.

Kinetics of insulin secretion in chronic pancreatitis and mild maturity onset diabetes. (Evidence for "gut hormone" action beyond glucoreceptor and cyclic adenosine monophosphate mediated insulin release)

We studied insulin responses to glucose with and without cholecystokinin-pancreozymin and aminophyllin infusions in normal, chronic pancreatitic and genetic (maturity-onset) diabetic subjects. Glucose was given alone as separate 5 and 10 g boluses followed by infusion at 250 mg/min. and 500 mg/min., respectively. Chronic pancreatitis patients and genetic diabetic patients had decreased Imax values, indicating a decreased insulin reserve. Sensitivity to glucose was normal in pancreatitic subjects, but the diabetic subjects had a raised G50 value, compatible with glucoreceptor dysfunction. Infusions of aminophyllin enhanced insulin responses (Imax) to glucose injection in normal subjects and to a lesser degree in pancreatitic subjects, but decreased sensitivity to glucose (increase in G50) in both groups. Although the Imax value in pancreatitic subjects was significantly lower than in the control subjects during the glucose plus aminophyllin infusion, the blood glucose concentration in the pancreatitic subjects was nonetheless decreased. This suggests that pancreatitic subjects have increased endogenous insulin sensitivity. Aminophyllin had no effect in diabetic subjects. Crude cholecystokinin-pancreozymin changed the shape of the glucose/insulin dose response curve in normal, pancreatitic and diabetic subjects. These findings further suggest that the defect in insulin secretion in pancreatitic subjects is partly situated at the cyclic adenosine monophosphate stage of insulin release. Crude cholecystokin-pancreozymin seems to affect insulin release at a point beyond the cyclic adenosine monophosphate stage.