Arginine is preferred to glucagon for stimulation testing of ß-cell function.

A key aspect of research into the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes is the availability of reproducible clinical research methodology to assess ß-cell function. One commonly used method employs nonglycemic secretagogues like arginine (arg) or glucagon (glgn). This study was designed to quantify the insulin response to arg and glgn and determine test repeatability and tolerability. Obese overnight-fasted subjects with normal glucose tolerance were studied on 4 separate days: twice using arg (5 g iv) and twice with glgn (1 mg iv). Pre- and postinfusion samples for plasma glucose, insulin, and C-peptide were acquired. Arg and glgn challenges were repeated in the last 10 min of a 60-min glucose (900 mg/min) infusion. Insulin and C-peptide secretory responses were estimated under baseline fasting glucose conditions (AIRarg and AIRglgn) and hyperglycemic (AIRargMAX AIRglgnMAX) states. Relative repeatability was estimated by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Twenty-three (12 men and 11 women) subjects were studied (age: 42.4 ± 8.3 yr; BMI: 31.4 ± 2.8 kg/m²). Geometric means (95% CI) for baseline-adjusted values AIRarg and AIRglgn were 84 (75-95) and 102 (90-115) µU/ml, respectively. After the glucose infusion, AIRargMAX and AIRglgnMAX were 395 (335-466) and 483 (355-658) µU/ml, respectively. ICC values were >0.90 for AIRarg andAIRargMAX. Glucagon ICCs were 0.83, 0.34, and 0.36, respectively, although the exclusion of one outlier increased the latter two values (to 0.84 and 0.86). Both glgn and arg induced mild adverse events that were transient. Glucagon, but not arginine, induced moderate adverse events due to nausea. Taken together, arginine is preferred to glucagon for assessment of ß-cell function.

The effects of age and gender on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in healthy subjects of the plasminogen activator, lanoteplase.

AIMS: To investigate the influence of age and gender on the intravenous pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the plasminogen activator, lanoteplase. METHODS: Forty healthy subjects (10 each of young males, elderly males, young females and elderly females) received a single bolus 10 kU kg(-1) intravenous dose of lanoteplase. Plasma from blood serially collected for 24 h post-dose was analyzed for lanoteplase (antigen), fibrinogen, plasminogen and α2-antiplasmin concentrations, plasma plasminogen activation activity (PPAA) and rapid plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1). RESULTS: Lanoteplase mean total systemic clearance (CL(t)) values ranged from 1.9 to 2.8 l h(-1) and mean steady-state volume of distribution (V(ss)) values ranged from 12.3 to 15.6 l. Age-by-gender interactions were observed for lanoteplase CL(t) (P= 0.04), but no differences were observed for V(ss) or elimination half-life. Elderly females had a 27% lower mean CL(t) than young females (95% CI for the difference 0.17, 1.27 l h(-1)) and 32% lower CL(t) than elderly males (95% CI for the difference 0.15, 1.65 l h(-1)). PPAA AUC/dose values did not show an age-by-gender interaction. Haemostasis parameters indicated only a slight degree of systemic plasminogen activation. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly females had a lower mean lanoteplase CL(t) than elderly males and young females. However, no difference was observed between young and elderly females for the AUC/dose of PPAA. In addition, there were no age-related or gender-related differences observed in the other pharmacodynamic parameters measured.

Outpatient versus inpatient mixed meal tolerance and arginine stimulation testing yields comparable measures of variability for assessment of beta cell function.

Standard practice to minimize variability in beta cell function (BCF) measurement is to test in inpatient (IP) settings. IP testing strains trial subjects, investigators, and budgets. Outpatient (OP) testing may be a solution although there are few reports on OP BCF testing variability. We compared variability metrics between OP and IP from a standardized mixed meal tolerance test (MMTT) and arginine stimulation test (AST) in two separate type 2 diabetes (T2DM) cohorts (OP, n = 20; IP n = 22) in test-retest design. MMTT variables included: insulin sensitivity (Si); beta cell responsivity (Φtot); and disposition index (DItot = Si* Φtot) following 470 kCal meal. AST variables included: acute insulin response to arginine (AIRarg) and during hyperglycemia (AIRargMAX). RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were well-matched. Between and within subject variance for each parameter across cohorts, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC-a measure of reproducibility) across parameters were generally comparable for OP to IP. Table summarizes the ICC results for each key parameter and cohort. [Table: see text] In conclusion, the variability (reproducibility) of BCF measures from standardized MMTT and AST is comparable between OP and IP settings. These observations have significant implications for complexity and cost of metabolic studies.

Mixed Meal and Intravenous L-Arginine Tests Both Stimulate Incretin Release Across Glucose Tolerance in Man: Lack of Correlation with ß Cell Function.

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to 1. define the responses of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), glucagon, and peptide YY (PYY) to an oral meal and to intravenous L-arginine; and 2. examine correlation of enteroendocrine hormones with insulin secretion. We hypothesized a relationship between circulating incretin concentrations and insulin secretion. METHODS: Subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT, n = 23), prediabetes (PDM, n = 17), or with type 2 diabetes (T2DM, n = 22) were studied twice, following a mixed test meal (470 kCal) (mixed meal tolerance test [MMTT]) or intravenous L-arginine (arginine maximal stimulation test [AST], 5 g). GLP-1 (total and active), PYY, GIP, glucagon, and ß cell function were measured before and following each stimulus. RESULTS: Baseline enteroendocrine hormones differed across the glucose tolerance (GT) spectrum, T2DM generally >NGT and PDM. In response to MMTT, total and active GLP-1, GIP, glucagon, and PYY increased in all populations. The incremental area-under-the-curve (0-120 min) of analytes like total GLP-1 were often higher in T2DM compared with NGT and PDM (35-51%; P < 0.05). At baseline glucose, L-arginine increased total and active GLP-1 and glucagon concentrations in all GT populations (all P < 0.05). As expected, the MMTT and AST provoked differential glucose, insulin, and C-peptide responses across GT populations. Baseline or stimulated enteroendocrine hormone concentrations did not consistently correlate with either measure of ß cell function. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Both MMTT and AST resulted in insulin and enteroendocrine hormone responses across GT populations without consistent correlation between release of incretins and insulin, which is in line with other published research. If a defect is in the enteroendocrine/ß cell axis, it is probably reduced response to rather than diminished secretion of enteroendocrine hormones.

Standardized Mixed-Meal Tolerance and Arginine Stimulation Tests Provide Reproducible and Complementary Measures of ß-Cell Function: Results From the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Biomarkers Consortium Investigative Series.

OBJECTIVE: Standardized, reproducible, and feasible quantification of ß-cell function (BCF) is necessary for the evaluation of interventions to improve insulin secretion and important for comparison across studies. We therefore characterized the responses to, and reproducibility of, standardized methods of in vivo BCF across different glucose tolerance states. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants classified as having normal glucose tolerance (NGT; n = 23), prediabetes (PDM; n = 17), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM; n = 22) underwent two standardized mixed-meal tolerance tests (MMTT) and two standardized arginine stimulation tests (AST) in a test-retest paradigm and one frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT). RESULTS: From the MMTT, insulin secretion in T2DM was >86% lower compared with NGT or PDM (P < 0.001). Insulin sensitivity (Si) decreased from NGT to PDM (∼50%) to T2DM (93% lower [P < 0.001]). In the AST, insulin secretory response to arginine at basal glucose and during hyperglycemia was lower in T2DM compared with NGT and PDM (>58%; all P < 0.001). FSIGT showed decreases in both insulin secretion and Si across populations (P < 0.001), although Si did not differ significantly between PDM and T2DM populations. Reproducibility was generally good for the MMTT, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranging from ∼0.3 to ∼0.8 depending on population and variable. Reproducibility for the AST was very good, with ICC values >0.8 across all variables and populations. CONCLUSIONS: Standardized MMTT and AST provide reproducible and complementary measures of BCF with characteristics favorable for longitudinal interventional trials use.

Comparison of pharmacokinetics of lanoteplase and alteplase during acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: Lanoteplase is a rationally designed variant of tissue plasminogen activator. The aim of this study was to examine the pharmacokinetics and functional activity of a single intravenous bolus dose of lanoteplase with those of a bolus plus two-step infusion of alteplase. DESIGN: Seven-centre substudy of the InTIME-I angiographic trial in patients presenting within 6 hours of onset of suspected acute myocardial infarction. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 31 patients (28 males, 3 females) enrolled in this substudy [mean age 59 (range 26 to 76) years]. METHODS: Twenty-three patients randomised to lanoteplase received single bolus doses of 15 kU/kg (n = 5), 30 kU/kg (n = 3), 60 kU/kg (n = 9), or 120 kU/kg (n = 6). Eight patients received alteplase