Type 2 diabetes affects the ability of the body to process glucose (sugar). Under fasting conditions, the liver is able to make sugar to maintain glucose levels in an important process called endogenous glucose production (EGP). Previous studies suggest that the central nervous system (CNS), including the brain, helps to regulate levels of glucose in the body by communicating with the liver. This process can be impaired in people with type 2 diabetes, and can contribute to the high level of glucose seen in these individuals.
The purpose of this study is to understand how activating control centers of the brain with a medication called diazoxide can affect how much glucose (sugar) is made by the liver. This is particularly important for people with diabetes who have very high production of glucose, which in turn can lead to diabetes complications.
Detailed Description:
In this study, the investigators will study healthy participants and participants with type 2 diabetes through a procedure called a “pancreatic clamp” study. During the clamp procedure, glucose (a sugar) and insulin (a hormone produced in the pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood) are infused with an intravenous catheter, and blood samples are collected periodically throughout the procedure to measure blood sugar levels and the levels of several hormones that are found in the body and are related to glucose metabolism. Endogenous glucose production (a measure of the body’s production of sugar) will be measured in patients given diazoxide (a medication that activates potassium channels in the brain that may affect glucose production in the liver through brain-liver signaling), compared with when a placebo is given. This study will also investigate whether lowering free fatty acid levels which may help improve the the body’s ability to regulate glucose levels.
Source: View full study details on ClinicalTrials.gov
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