Evidence for decreasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus in childhood apparently produced by prevention of hyperinsulinism in the foetus and newborn.

In view of experimental and clinical findings, it was predicted (Dörner, 1973 and 1976; Dörner and Mohnike, 1973 and 1977) that a preventive therapy of diabetes mellitus may be possible by preventing hyperinsulinism in perinatal life by means of prevention of hyperglycaemia in pregnant women and overnutrition in newborns. Meanwhile, this prediction appears to have been realized. Thus, the prevalences of diabetes mellitus in children, who were born in Berlin/GDR over the past decade, were found to be significantly decreased as compared to those born between 1962 and 1972.

Effect of insulin suppositories in type I diabetic patients (preliminary communication).

Eight type I diabetic patients received a subcutaneous injection of 10 IU regular insulin, or--after a one week interval--a suppository containing 75 IU crystalline insulin, the surfactant Brij 58, and the basic mass. In all patients there was a disease in blood glucose (onset after 20 min, maximum effect after 50 min, end of the effect after 90 min), and the plasma IRI level increased. However, the effect was attenuated in relation to the control test employing s.

Thromboxane B2 (TXB2) formation in clotting whole blood of healthy and diabetic humans in vitro.

We investigated the ability of platelets from two groups of diabetics type I and two groups of healthy volunteers matched of age to generate thromboxane B2 (TXB2) during spontaneous clotting of whole blood. The serum concentration of TXB2, reflecting the ability of the platelets to generate TXA2 during clotting, was measured by gas liquid chromatography. Platelets from old diabetics with more than 40 years duration of diabetes mellitus formed significantly less TXB2 than those from old healthy controls.