Abstract
Alloxan diabetic rats with fasting blood glucose levels above 300mg/100ml were treated with oral administration of water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) insulin emulsions at a dose of 50 U/100g body weight, three times daily for 10 to 14 days. The course of diabetes was followed by determinations of glucose levels in blood and urine.
During treatment with oral W/O/W insulin emulsions, daily excretion of urinary glucose decreased by about 30 to 40%(2 to 3g/day) in all of the five rats studied, and returned to the pre-treatment levels after the treatment being discontinued. During treatment, a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose levels was observed in 4 out of 5 rats, giving the decrease by 18 to 44%. Quantitative estimates suggested that the effectiveness of 50 U/100g of oral W/O/W insulin emulsions was comparable to that after intramuscular regular insulin at a dose of 0.5 U/100g.
Although oral W/O/W insulin emulsions are still of low efficiency, these results would indicate that diabetes can be controlled by effective oral insulin preparations.
