Abstract
Glucose loading was carried out to study the metabolism of prostaglandin (PG) in patients with maturity-onset diabetics. Forty ml of 0.9% saline followed at 60 min later by 40 ml of glucose solution (glucose load), were given intravenously to normal individuals and diabetics. The effects on the plasma PG concentration and urine PG excretion rate were studied in 7 normal individuals and 24 diabetics, among which 7 were treated with anti-inflammatory drugs. The iPGE levels were significantly higher in diabetics than in normal individuals after the glucose load (p<0.05). The levels were higher in patients with fasting blood sugar levels in excess of 120 mg/dl than in those with levels below 120 mg/dl. Lower levels of blood glucose and plasma iPGE were always observed in diabetics treated with anti-inflammatory drugs than in those without. On the other hand, the urinary PGF1α excretion rate was significantly lower in diabetics than in normal individuals (p<0.025). These findings suggest that abnormal PG metabolism exists in diabetics.
