The effect of treatment of type 2 (insulin independent) diabetes mellitus on plasma concentrations of pancreatic polypeptide and glucagon.

The effect of the control of diabetes with diet and insulin upon plasma levels of human pancreatic polypeptide and glucagon was determined in eight patients with Type 2 (insulin independent) diabetes mellitus. The mean +/- SEM fasting plasma glucose was 15.9 +/- 1.3 mmol/l for 5 days of diet treatment and 5.9 +/- 0.4 mmol/l for the last 5 days of treatment with diet plus insulin (p less than 0.0001); corresponding fasting plasma pancreatic polypeptide levels were 328 +/- 97 and 247 +/- 71 pg/ml (p less than 0.05) and immunoreactive glucagon levels were 95 +/- 11 and 62 +/- 6 pg/ml (p less than 0.005). Cooked ground beef was administered on the first day of diet treatment and on the last day of treatment with diet plus insulin; mean maximal rise of pancreatic polypeptide, and total and incremental plasma pancreatic polypeptide response areas were significantly lower following treatment (p less than 0.01), as was total area for immunoreactive glucagon (p less than 0.05). Normalisation of fasting plasma glucose by short-term treatment with diet plus insulin is associated with decreases in basal and stimulated secretory activity of the pancreatic polypeptide cells in insulin independent diabetes mellitus.