Richard E. Pratley

The natural history of insulin secretory dysfunction and insulin resistance in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus

The pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes involves abnormalities in insulin action, insulin secretion, and endogenous glucose output (EGO). However, the sequence with which these abnormalities develop and their relative contributions to the deterioration in glucose tolerance remain unclear in the absence of a detailed longitudinal study. We measured insulin action, insulin secretion, and EGO longitudinally in 17 Pima Indians, in whom glucose tolerance deteriorated from normal (NGT) to impaired (IGT) to diabetic over 5.1 +/- 1.4 years. Transition from NGT to IGT was associated with an increase in body weight, a decline in insulin-stimulated glucose disposal, and a decline in the acute insulin secretory response (AIR) to intravenous glucose, but no change in EGO. Progression from IGT to diabetes was accompanied by a further increase in body weight, further decreases in insulin-stimulated glucose disposal and AIR, and an increase in basal EGO. Thirty-one subjects who retained NGT over a similar period also gained weight, but their AIR increased with decreasing insulin-stimulated glucose disposal. Thus, defects in insulin secretion and insulin action occur early in the pathogenesis of diabetes. Intervention to prevent diabetes should target both abnormalities.

Enlarged subcutaneous abdominal adipocyte size, but not obesity itself, predicts type II diabetes independent of insulin resistance.

Aims/hypothesis. Cross-sectional studies indicate that enlarged subcutaneous abdominal adipocyte size is associated with hyperinsulinaemia, insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. To further explore the pathophysiological significance of these associations, we examined prospectively whether enlarged subcutaneous abdominal adipocyte size predicts Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Methods. Body composition (hydrodensitometry), mean subcutaneous abdominal adipocyte size (fat biopsy), insulin sensitivity (hyperinsulinaemic clamp) and the acute insulin secretory response (25-g i. v. GTT) were assessed in 280 Pima Indians with either normal (NGT), impaired (IGT) or diabetic glucose tolerance (75-g OGTT). Subjects with NGT were then followed prospectively. Results. After adjusting for age, sex and per cent body fat, mean subcutaneous abdominal adipocyte size was 19 % and 11 % higher in subjects with diabetes and IGT, compared with those with NGT (p < 0.001). Insulin sensitivity was inversely correlated with mean subcutaneous abdominal adipocyte size (r = –0.53, p < 0.0001), even after adjusting for per cent body fat (r = –0.31, p < 0.001). In 108 NGT subjects followed over 9.3 ± 4.1 years (33 of whom developed diabetes), enlarged mean subcutaneous abdominal adipocyte size but not high per cent body fat, was an independent predictor of diabetes, in addition to a low insulin sensitivity and acute insulin secretory response [relative hazard 10th vs 90th centile (95 % CI): 5.8 (1.7–19.6), p < 0.005]. In 28 NGT subjects with a 9 % weight gain over 2.7 ± 1.3 years, changes in insulin sensitivity were inversely and independently related to changes in mean subcutaneous abdominal adipocyte size and per cent body fat. Conclusion/interpretation. Although enlarged mean subcutaneous abdominal adipocyte size is associated with insulin resistance cross-sectionally, prospectively, both abnormalities are independent and additive predictors of Type II diabetes. [Diabetologia (2000) 43: 1498–1506]

The role of impaired early insulin secretion in the pathogenesis of Type II diabetes mellitus

Abstract. Patients with Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus manifest abnormalities in insulin action and insulin secretion. It is widely accepted that insulin resistance is an early finding, evident before the onset of hyperglycaemia and predictive of the subsequent development of diabetes. Whether abnormalities in insulin secretion also precede and predict diabetes has been debated. However, recent studies clearly indicate that early insulin secretion plays a critical role in maintaining normal glucose homeostasis. Cross-sectional analyses show that acute insulin secretory responses (AIR) to intravenous glucose are lower in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and those at high risk for developing diabetes. Prospectively, a low AIR predicts the development of diabetes in several populations. In longitudinal studies, AIR declines dramatically as patients progress from normal to impaired glucose tolerance and ultimately to diabetes. Early insulin secretion is important for the rapid and efficient suppression of endogenous glucose production after a meal. Thus, loss of early insulin secretion initially leads to post-prandial hyperglycaemia which, as the disease progresses, worsens to clinical hyperglycaemia. Strategies that enhance early insulin secretion improve glucose tolerance and represent a novel and more physiologic approach to improving glycaemic control in patients with Type II diabetes mellitus. [Diabetologia (2001) 44: 929–945]

A calpain-10 gene polymorphism is associated with reduced muscle mRNA levels and insulin resistance

Previous linkage studies in Mexican-Americans localized a major susceptibility locus for type 2 diabetes, NIDDM1, to chromosome 2q. This evidence for linkage to type 2 diabetes was recently found to be associated with a common G-->A polymorphism (UCSNP-43) within the CAPN10 gene. The at-risk genotype was homozygous for the UCSNP-43 G allele. In the present study among Pima Indians, the UCSNP-43 G/G genotype was not associated with an increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes. However, Pima Indians with normal glucose tolerance, who have a G/G genotype at UCSNP-43, were found to have decreased rates of postabsorptive and insulin-stimulated glucose turnover that appear to result from decreased rates of glucose oxidation. In addition, G/G homozygotes were found to have reduced CAPN10 mRNA expression in their skeletal muscle. A decreased rate of insulin-mediated glucose turnover, or insulin resistance, is one mechanism by which the polymorphism in CAPN10 may increase susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus in older persons.

Effect of a diabetic environment in utero on predisposition to type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes is affected by genetics and environmental factors. We aimed to assess the effect of an in-utero diabetic environment independently of the genetic background for type 2 diabetes. METHODS We measured insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion in response to oral and intravenous glucose in 15 non-diabetic adult offspring of mothers with type 1 diabetes (exposed participants) and 16 offspring of type 1 diabetic fathers (controls). No participants had type 1 diabetes-associated autoantibodies. We also measured pancreatic polypeptide, a marker of parasympathetic drive to the pancreas. FINDINGS There was no difference between the groups with respect to percent body fat and insulin sensitivity. Five of the 15 exposed participants, but none of the controls had impaired glucose tolerance (p=0.02). Early insulin secretion after an oral glucose tolerance test was lower in exposed participants than in controls: 8.6 IU/mmol (SD 5.4) in exposed participants with impaired glucose tolerance, 14.2 IU/mmol (6.5) in those with normal glucose tolerance and 17.7 IU/mmol (10.9) in controls (p=0.04). Mean insulin secretion rate during glucose infusion study was 4.7 pmol/kg per min (3.6) in people with impaired glucose tolerance, 5.5 pmol/kg per min (4.5) in exposed participants with normal glucose tolerance and 7.5 pmol/kg per min (6.1) in controls (p<0.0001). The area under the curve of pancreatic polypeptide 120 min after oral glucose ingestion was 1007 (429) in people with impaired glucose tolerance, 2829 (1701) in those with normal glucose tolerance, and 3224 (1352) in controls (p=0.04). INTERPRETATION Exposure to a diabetic environment in utero is associated with increased occurrence of impaired glucose tolerance and a defective insulin secretory response in adult offspring, independent of genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes. This insulin secretory defect could be related to low parasympathetic tone. Epidemiological studies are needed to confirm our observations before therapeutic strategies can be devised.

An autosomal genomic scan for loci linked to prediabetic phenotypes in Pima Indians.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a common chronic disease that is thought to have a substantial genetic basis. Identification of the genes responsible has been hampered by the complex nature of the syndrome. Abnormalities in insulin secretion and insulin action predict the development of type 2 diabetes and are, themselves, highly heritable traits. Since fewer genes may contribute to these precursors of type 2 diabetes than to the overall syndrome, such genes may be easier to identify. We, therefore, undertook an autosomal genomic scan to identify loci linked to prediabetic traits in Pima Indians, a population with a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes. 363 nondiabetic Pima Indians were genotyped at 516 polymorphic microsatellite markers on all 22 autosomes. Linkage analyses were performed using three methods (single-marker, nonparametric multipoint [MAPMAKER/SIBS], and variance components multipoint). These analyses provided evidence for linkage at several chromosomal regions, including 3q21-24 linked to fasting plasma insulin concentration and in vivo insulin action, 4p15-q12 linked to fasting plasma insulin concentration, 9q21 linked to 2-h insulin concentration during oral glucose tolerance testing, and 22q12-13 linked to fasting plasma glucose concentration. These results suggest loci that may harbor genes contributing to type 2 diabetes in Pima Indians. None of the linkages exceeded a LOD score of 3.6 (a 5% probability of occurring in a genome-wide scan). These findings must, therefore, be considered tentative until extended in this population or replicated in others.

Humoral markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in relation to adiposity and in vivo insulin action in Pima Indians.

Several studies have shown that humoral markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction are predictive of macrovascular events, and correlated with indirect measures of adiposity and insulin action, thus providing a possible link between obesity, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. We examined the relationship between humoral markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction and direct measures of adiposity and insulin action in Pima Indians, a population with a very high prevalence of obesity and insulin resistance, but a relatively low propensity for atherosclerotic disease. Fasting plasma concentrations of the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP), secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and of the endothelial markers E-selectin and von Willebrand factor (vWF) were measured in 32 non-diabetic Pima Indians (18 M/14 F, age 27+/-1 years) in whom percent body fat and insulin-stimulated glucose disposal (M) were assessed by DEXA and a hyperinsulinemic clamp, respectively. CRP, sPLA2, and sICAM-1 were all positively correlated with percent body fat (r=0.71, 0.57, and 0.51, all P<0.01). E-selectin and vWF were not correlated with percent body fat, but were negatively correlated with M (r= -0.65 and -0.46, both P<0.001) and positively correlated with CRP (r=0.46, and 0.33, both P<0.05). These findings indicate that humoral markers of inflammation increase with increasing adiposity in Pima Indians whereas humoral markers of endothelial dysfunction increase primarily in proportion to the degree of insulin resistance and inflammation. Thus, obesity and insulin resistance appear to be associated with low-grade inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, respectively, even in an obesity- and diabetes-prone population with relatively low propensity for atherosclerosis.

Autosomal genomic scan for loci linked to obesity and energy metabolism in Pima Indians

An autosomal genomic scan to search for linkage to obesity and energy metabolism was completed in Pima Indians, a population prone to obesity. Obesity was assessed by percent body fat (by hydrodensitometry) and fat distribution (the ratio of waist circumference to thigh circumference). Energy metabolism was measured in a respiratory chamber as 24-h metabolic rate, sleeping metabolic rate, and 24-h respiratory quotient (24RQ), an indicator of the ratio of carbohydrate oxidation to fat oxidation. Five hundred sixteen microsatellite markers with a median spacing of 6.4 cM were analyzed, in 362 siblings who had measurements of body composition and in 220 siblings who had measurements of energy metabolism. These comprised 451 sib pairs in 127 nuclear families, for linkage analysis to obesity, and 236 sib pairs in 82 nuclear families, for linkage analysis to energy metabolism. Pointwise and multipoint methods for regression of sib-pair differences in identity by descent, as well as a sibling-based variance-components method, were used to detect linkage. LOD scores >=2 were found at 11q21-q22, for percent body fat (LOD=2.1; P=.001), at 11q23-q24, for 24-h energy expenditure (LOD=2.0; P=.001), and at 1p31-p21 (LOD=2.0) and 20q11.2 (LOD=3.0; P=.0001), for 24RQ, by pointwise and multipoint analyses. With the variance-components method, the highest LOD score (LOD=2.3 P=.0006) was found at 18q21, for percent body fat, and at 1p31-p21 (LOD=2.8; P=.0003), for 24RQ. Possible candidate genes include LEPR (leptin receptor), at 1p31, and ASIP (agouti-signaling protein), at 20q11.2.

Higher sedentary energy expenditure in patients with Huntington's disease

Weight loss is common among patients with Huntingtons disease (HD), although the mechanisms contributing to this phenomenon are not known. We measured 24‐hour sedentary energy expenditure (24‐hour EE) and sleeping metabolic rate (SMR) in a human respiratory chamber in 17 patients with mild to moderate HD and 17 control subjects matched for age, sex, and body mass index. Total energy expenditure was measured during 7 days in free‐living conditions, using the doubly labeled water technique. Body weight, fat mass, and fat‐free mass (measured by dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry) were similar in patients with HD and control subjects. Twenty‐four‐hour EE was 14% higher in HD patients than controls in absolute terms (2,038 ± 98 vs 1,784 ± 68 kcal/24 hours) and after adjustment for age, sex, fat mass, and fat‐free mass (1,998 ± 45 vs 1,824 ± 45 kcal/24 hours). In contrast, SMR and total energy expenditure were similar in patients and controls both in absolute terms (1,314 ± 38 vs 1,316 ± 42 and 2,402 ± 102 vs 2,373 ± 98 kcal/24 hours, respectively) and after adjustment. Spontaneous physical activity measured by radar in the chamber and the ratio of 24‐hour EE to SMR were significantly higher in HD patients than controls (11.4 ± 1.4 vs 6.1 ± 0.6% and 1.54 ± 0.05 vs 1.36 ± 0.03, respectively). In the group as a whole, 24‐hour EE/SMR correlated with spontaneous physical activity. Among HD patients, both 24‐hour EE/SMR and spontaneous physical activity correlated with the severity of chorea, but SMR and total energy expenditure did not. There were no differences in reported energy intake during 7 days in patients with HD compared with controls. The results of this study indicate that sedentary energy expenditure is higher in patients with HD than in controls in proportion to the severity of the movement disorder. Total free‐living energy expenditure is not higher, however, because patients with HD appear to engage in less voluntary physical activity. Ann Neurol 2000; 47:64–70

Long-term changes in insulin action and insulin secretion associated with gain, loss, regain and maintenance of body weight

Aims/hypothesis. We aimed to quantify changes in insulin action and insulin secretion associated with long-term gain, loss, regain, and maintenance of body weight in subjects with normal (NGT) or impaired (IGT) glucose tolerance.¶Methods. Insulin action (hyperinsulinaemic clamp) and insulin secretion (intravenous glucose challenge) were measured longitudinally in 209 Pima Indians [body weight 94.4 ± 22.8 kg (means ± SD) 89 women/120 men, 151 NGT/58 IGT], who either lost (n = 110) or gained (n = 99) weight (–23 % to + 29 %) over 2.6 ± 2.0 years. Insulin action and insulin secretion were reassessed on a third occasion in 33 subjects who lost at least 5 % body weight over 1.5 ± 0.8 years and then either regained or maintained weight over the subsequent 1.8 ± 1.1 years.¶Results. There was a linear negative relation between changes in body weight and changes in insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in subjects with normal glucose tolerance (r = – 0.51, p < 0.0001) and impaired glucose tolerance (r = – 0.54, p < 0.0001). In contrast, changes in the acute insulin response were positively related to weight changes in subjects with normal glucose tolerance (r = + 0.26, p < 0.005) but negatively in those with impaired glucose tolerance (r = – 0.51, p < 0.0001). Improvements in insulin action after an average of 10 % weight loss were lost with weight regain but largely preserved with weight maintenance.¶Conclusion/interpretation. Improvements in insulin action are proportional to the amount of weight loss, similar in magnitude to the impairment in insulin action with weight gain, preserved with long-term weight maintenance and similar between subjects with normal and with impaired glucose tolerance. Weight gain could, however, have more detrimental effects in people with impaired glucose tolerance, in whom insulin secretion decreases rather than increases to compensate for the decreased insulin action. [Diabetologia (2000) 43: 36–46]