Effects of Pulsatile Insulin Delivery on Diabetic Neuropathy in Patients With Types 1 and 2 Diabetes Mellitus

August 8, 2016 updated by: Florida Atlantic University

Effects of Pulsatile Insulin Delivery on Peripheral Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy is a progressive complication causing serious problems in 25-40% of diabetic patients. Anecdotal reports have indicated improvement with pulsatile IV insulin in patients otherwise resistant to all conventional therapies. Significant complications produce painful peripheral dysesthesias, loss of sensation and gastroparesis. This study is designed to test the effectiveness of pulsatile insulin delivery on diabetic neuropathy.

Study Overview

Status

Terminated

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is a progressive complication causing serious problems in 25%-40% of diabetic patients. Significant complications produce painful peripheral dysesthesias, loss of sensation, and gastroparesis. DN may affect the peripheral motor and sensory nerves in addition to the autonomic nervous system (1-3). Treatment strategies for patients with DN have generally concentrated on pain relief, without addressing the underlying pathophysiology of the disease (4). Anecdotal reports from patients treated with pulsatile insulin for other complications suggest that this treatment may show efficacy in patients with DN. This study is designed to compare patients with DN who receive pulsatile insulin with a control group.

Pulses of IV insulin encourages the glucose metabolism in diabetics to normalize in multiple organs, especially muscle, retina, liver, kidney and nerve endings. The process fundamentally requires the administration of high dose insulin pulses similar to those found in non diabetic humans by their pancreas into the surrounding portal circulation. Oral carbohydrates are given simultaneously to augment the process and prevent hypoglycemia. The process is monitored by frequent measuring of glucose levels and respiratory quotients (RQ). RQ is measured by a metabolic cart which determines the ratio VCO2/ VO2. This ratio is specific for the fuel used at any one time by the body. The glucose levels are monitored to keep glucose levels appropriate and the RQ determines the need to readjust the infusion protocol in each patient for subsequent insulin infusion sessions. The insulin pulses are delivered over 1-hour periods with a 1-hour rest period between each session. Three treatments are given during each treatment day.

The respiratory quotient (RQ) is a measurement of CO2 exhaled and O2 inhaled and is proportionate to the fuel sources being used by the body, primarily the liver over short periods of time. The higher the RQ, the more glucose and less alternative fuel sources are being utilized. Following the RQ change helps determine the effectiveness of physiological insulin administration in increasing anabolic functions in diabetic individuals. By improving the body's glucose metabolism and thereby causing beneficial effects of anabolic factors, the possibility of serious complications can be decreased. In addition the use of oral carbohydrate at the same time along with the physiologic insulin administration stimulates the appropriate gut hormones which augment this effect, a response which cannot be duplicated with intravenous glucose. The purpose of our studies is to determine whether the physiologic administration of insulin along with the augmenting effect of oral carbohydrates will normalize metabolism in diabetic patients and correlate with an improvement in their manifestations of diabetic neuropathy.

The RQ is determined by the use of a metabolic cart. Individuals breathe into a mask for 3-5 minutes after a rest period of 30 or more minutes. The ratio of exhaled volume of CO2 to the inhaled volume of O2 is determined as the RQ. The physiologic range is 0.7 to1.3. Individuals using fat as a primary fuel have a ratio of 0.7, protein or mixed fuels is 0.8-0.9 and carbohydrate is 0.9-1.0. Those taking excessive calories will have RQ's higher than 1.05.

  1. Tesfaye S, Chaturvedi N, Eaton SEM, Ward JD, Manes C, Ionescu-Tirgoviste C, Witte DR, Fuller JH, Vascular Risk factors and Diabetic Neuropathy N Engl J Med 352:341-50, 2005.
  2. Neuropathy Trust, Diabetic Neuropathy:Prevalence, www.neurocentre.com.
  3. Potter PJ, Maryniak O, Yamorski R, Jones IC, Incidence of Peripheral Neuropathy in the Contralateral Limb of Persons with Unilateral Amputation due to Diabetes, Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development 35:335-39, 1998.
  4. Goldstein DJ, Lu Y, Detke MJ, Lee TC, Iyengan , Duloxetine versus Placebo in Patients with Painful Diabetic Neuropathy, Pain 116:109-18, 2005.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

152

Phase

  • Phase 2
  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Florida
      • Boca Raton, Florida, United States, 33431
        • Florida Atlantic University Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

20 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • The researchers will include up to 500 patients both male and female between the ages of 20 and 90 diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  • All patients were diagnosed by their endocrinologists as having diabetic neuropathy
  • All patients had failed conventional treatment for diabetic neuropathy
  • Taking oral agents and/or insulin for diabetic control
  • Under an Endocrinologists supervision for their diabetes management. Endocrinologist must assess and approve patient for participation in this study
  • Ability to swallow without difficulty
  • Ability to commit to the weekly time requirements associated with the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Other causes of complications not related to diabetes
  • Lack of intravenous access
  • Pregnancy
  • Alcohol abuse, drug addiction or the use of illegal drugs
  • Positive HIV
  • Inability to breathe into machine for respiratory quotients

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: 2
Patients with diagnosed diabetic neuropathy will receive objective baseline testing and follow up testing every six months after the start of Pulsatile intravenous insulin therapy to monitor and assess diabetic neuropathy.
Procedure: Effect of Pulsatile IV Insulin on diabetic neuropathy
Patients diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy will be treated with pulsatile intravenous insulin on a weekly basis. Patient's Endocrinologist will determine the dosage of intravenous insulin to be given each week based upon the patient's response and insulin resistance.
Other Names:
  • Humulog, Humulin, Novolog,
Placebo Comparator: 1
Control patients with diabetic neuropathy will receive objective testing at baseline and every six months to compare and measure results with patients who are receiving pulsatile intravenous insulin therapy.
Procedure: Effect of Pulsatile IV insulin on diabetic neuropathy
Control patients with diagnosed diabetic neuropathy will have objective testing at baseline and every six months to compare and measure results to patients receiving pulsatile intravenous insulin therapy.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Measure the stabilization or reduction of the decline of diabetic neuropathy by pt questionnaires and diagnostic tests
Time Frame: Measure the stabilization and reduction of complications associated with diabetic neuropathy
Measure the stabilization and reduction of complications associated with diabetic neuropathy

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Florida Atlantic University

Collaborators

Advanced Diabetes Treatment Centers
Global Infusions

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Betty Tuller, PhD, Florida Atlantic University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

February 1, 2004

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 1, 2009

Study Completion (Actual)

August 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 27, 2005

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 27, 2005

First Posted (Estimate)

September 29, 2005

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

August 10, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 8, 2016

Last Verified

August 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • H09-66 NEU1
  • MH42900 and MH01386 (NIMH)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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