Recent Advances Relative to Diabetes Mellitus

  1. ROBERT H. WILLIAMS, M.D., F.A.C.P.
    Seattle, Washington
  1. Requests for reprints should be addressed to Robert H. Williams, M.D., Department of Medicine, University of Washington,
    Seattle, Wash. 98105
    .

Excerpt

In most patients with diabetes mellitus, the primary fundamental defect has not been elucidated, but there is much to indicate that it is on a hereditary basis. Many individuals destined to develop the disease do not manifest hyperglycemia, glycosuria, and other classic features until many years after birth. Most individuals studied have been found to show various types of microvascular histological changes (1) before they manifest overt abnormalities in blood sugar. Since insulin corrects many of the abnormalities in diabetes, major attention, of course, has been given to the consideration that diabetes is associated with insulin deficiency, and indeed under

Summario in Interlingua

Le majoritate del casos de diabete resulta de un disordine genetic, con un defecto primari le qual non es cognoscite. Apparentemente le condition non es le resultato de un carentia in le secretion de insulina. Un possibilitate le qual ha recentemente attrahite un extense interesse es que un anormalitate in le metabolismo de insulina, forsan al nivello del hepate, debe esser incriminate. Sub certe circumstantias, un excessive quantitate de material insulino-simile de alte peso molecular es demonstrabile in le plasma de diabeticos. Le exacte composition de iste material ha non ancora essite establite. Illo consiste possibilemente de polymeros de (1) numerose molecules de insulina o (2) de varie combinationes de catenas A e catenas B de insulina. Il ha essite monstrate que un specie de catena A pote esser reconjugate con le catena B de un altere specie, e vice versa, resultante in un activitate insulinic. Durante que iste material es capace de stimular activitate in tissu adipose, illo es generalmente incapace de stimular tissu muscular. Le excessive activitate in tissu adipose ha essite incriminate como base del communmente observate obesitate in diabeticos adulte. Il ha essite reportate que sero diabetic contine concentrationes plus que normal de synalbumina, que in illo le augmentation del action insulinic per fractiones globulinic de plasma es deprimite, e que illo es characterisate per un grandemente intensificate complexation de insulina. Certe investigatores ha proponite recentemente que un defecto in le metabolismo de lipido es possibilemente un major productor de alterationes in le metabolismo de hydratos de carbon in le presentia de diabete. Secundo iste these, il occurre in diabeticos un augmentate lipolyse, con le liberation de excessive quantitates de libere acidos grasse, resultante in un refractorietate del activitate insulinic de promover le acceptation de glucosa per le cellulas de certe tissus peripheric. Therapia oral ha crescite considerabilemente in popularitate, sed multo indica que sulfonylureas e phenformina deberea esser usate simultaneemente in un multo plus grande numero de patientes que lo que esseva usual in le passato. In un continue therapia a sulfonylurea—como etiam in le caso de un simile uso de phenformina—le nivellos plasmatic de insulina tende a descender a infra lor valores pretractamental. Tal observationes deberea servir a alleviar considerabilemente le anxietate sublevate per le suspicion que therapia a sulfonylurea poterea exhaurir le cellulas beta e causar un reinfortiamento del tendentia obesificatori per le agentia de hyperinsulinismo.

Article and Author Information

  • From the Department of Medicine, the University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.

    • Received May 12, 1965.
    • Accepted May 13, 1965.
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