In vitro effect of adenosine agonist GR79236 on the insulin sensitivity of glucose utilisation in rat soleus and human rectus abdominus muscle.

The dose-response effects of a new adenosine agonist, GR79236, were examined in isolated rat soleus muscle strips and human rectus abdominus muscle strips. Effects on the insulin sensitivity of carbohydrate metabolism were examined, in particular upon insulin stimulated glycogen synthesis and glycolytic flux. In the presence of adenosine deaminase (ADA), GR79236 increased insulin sensitivity of pyruvate release from rat soleus muscle strips by 24% from 82.

Adenosine effects upon insulin action on lipolysis and glucose transport in human adipocytes.

The dose response effect of a new adenosine analogue, GR79236 (N-[1S trans-2-hydroxycyclopentyl] adenosine) upon insulin sensitivity was examined in human adipocytes. The influence of adenosine upon insulin sensitivity for suppression of lipolysis and stimulation of glucose transport was examined. Removal of adenosine by use of adenosine deaminase stimulated lipolysis to the same extent as did 10(-9) M noradrenaline.

The impact of metformin therapy on hepatic glucose production and skeletal muscle glycogen synthase activity in overweight type II diabetic patients.

The effect of metformin therapy on glucose metabolism was examined in eight overweight newly presenting untreated type II diabetic patients (five males, three females). Patients were treated for 12 weeks with either metformin (850 mg x 3) or matching placebo using a double-blind crossover study design; patients were studied at presentation and at the end of each treatment period. Insulin action was assessed by measuring activation of skeletal muscle glycogen synthase (GS) before and during a 4-hour hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp (100 mU.

Primary biliary cirrhosis. Quantitation of autoantibodies to purified mitochondrial enzymes and correlation with disease progression.

Primary biliary cirrhosis is characterized by the presence of antimitochondrial antibodies. Recently, six of the autoantigens have been identified as components of the 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase multienzyme complexes located within mammalian mitochondria. Immunoblotting studies have shown that two of these components, namely E2 and protein X of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, are the major antigenic polypeptides recognized by autoantibodies.