Use of euglycaemic clamping in evaluation of diazoxide treatment of insulinoma.

The use of diazoxide in patients with insulinoma has been evaluated using the euglycaemic clamp technique. There was significantly reduced mean tissue sensitivity to insulin, expressed as the ratio of glucose disposal rate to serum insulin concentration (M/I), in untreated patients compared to the control group. The metabolic clearance rate of insulin (MCRI) was reduced in the patients before treatment in comparison with the controls. The administration of diazoxide (Proglicem1) for three days (3 mg.kg-1 per day) caused a fall in serum insulin concentrations, together with an increase in the metabolic clearance rate of insulin and increased tissue sensitivity to insulin.