Strict insulin therapy normalises organ nitrogen contents and the capacity of urea nitrogen synthesis in experimental diabetes in rats

Abstract

Rats with experimental diabetes due to streptozotocin (75 mg/kg body weight) and free access to food were divided into two groups. One group (n=9) was optimally treated with insulin (glucosuria n=10) was poorly treated with insulin (glucosuria 20–30 mmol/24 h). The nitrogen balance and energy balance of optimally treated diabetic rats was positive and not different from the control group (n=6). In the poorly treated diabetic rats the nitrogen balance was reduced whereas the energy balance was not different from that of control rats. After 4 weeks the fasting glucagon was: 50±21 ng/l (mean±SEM) in control rats, 62±18 ng/l in optimally treated diabetic rats and 249±58 ng/l in poorly treated diabetic rats (pppp<0.01). Strict insulin therapy in experimental diabetes leads to a normalisation of nitrogen metabolism and hyperglucagonaemia, whereas less than optimally insulin treated rats show marked abnormalities in nitrogen metabolism as well as hyperglucagonaemia.