Glucose in diabetes

The development of a sensor capable of continuously monitoring glucose in diabetic patients is a big challenge which scientists have not still won. 

Biosensors are analytical devices that incorporate a biological component and a transducer. These must be in close proximity with one another and preferably in intimate contact, i.e. the biological component immobilized on to the transducer. Such devices are available in disposable forms, e.g. for measurement of blood glucose in diabetic patients, evaluation of the freshness of uncooked meat. Other designs are suitable for continuous use, e.g. on-line monitoring of fermentation processes, the detection of toxic substances. 

In recent years, the use of a microdialysis probe coupled on-line with a glucose biosensor has provided very good results for the continuous monitoring of glucose in diabetic patients [51-54],... 

Janle-Swain E, Van Vleet JF, Ash SR. Use of a capillary filtrate collector for monitoring glucose in diabetics. American Society for Artificial Internal Organs 1987, 33, 336-340. 

Tamada JA, Bohannon NJV, Potts RO. Measurement of glucose in diabetic subjects using noninvasive transdermal extraction. Nature Medicine 1995, 1, 1198-1201. 

Low sweetness sweeteners are of interest because they are generally metabolized in the body yet do not contribute to dental caries, and tend to have a lower effect on blood glucose in diabetics. Four examples are discussed here. Where sweetness equal to sucrose is desired, a high intensity sweetener can be mixed with it in most countries. However low sweetness caloric sweeteners are of particular interest for persons with kidney disease, where it is often difficult to get them to take enough calories. Use of glucose syrups to "stuff calories" with little water is often unacceptable to the patient because of the excessively sweet taste. Perhaps someone will develop a low sweetness metabolizable sweetener for these people. 

Because phenothiazines affect carbohydrate metabolism, they can interfere with the control of blood glucose in diabetes mellitus (445,623). 

Elevated glucose in diabetes meliitus may result in sorbitol deposition in the lens and neural tissues, contributing to cataracts and peripheral neuropathy. 

Aloes have been used on the skin to reduce the pain and swelling of bums, improve the sjmptoms of genital herpes and other skin conditions such as psoriasis, and to help heal wounds and frostbite. Aloe has been used orally to treat arthritis, asthma, diabetes, pruritus, peptic ulcers, and constipation. It may be effective in inflammatory bowel disease (1). It may reduce blood glucose in diabetes mellitus and blood Upid concentrations in hyperlipidemia (2). 

Monitor blood glucose in diabetics for a possible increase. 

Morris LR, McGee JA, Kitabchi AE. Correlation between plasma and urine glucose in diabetes. Ann Intern Med 1981 94 469-71. 

Basement membrane thickening plays a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. Extra renal sites such as the retina, peripheral nerves, and skeletal muscle capillaries may be involved. The normal basement membrane is made up of collagen-like glycoproteins with the carbohydrate subunits linked to hydro-xylysine and asparagine residues. The increased blood glucose in diabetics perhaps results in increased enzymatic incorporation of carbohydrates into the basement membrane. A reduction in cross-linked cystine residues may render these basement membranes leakier than normal. It is known that diabetic capillaries leak plasma proteins excessively and the size of the leak is dependent on both the duration and success of diabetic control. 

Dan, K., H. Fujita, Y. Seto, and R. Kato. 1997. Relation between stable glycated hemoglobin A and plasma glucose in diabetes-model mice. Experimental Animals 46 135-140. 

The main reason for the elevation of blood glucose in diabetes is reduced insulin-mediated glucose metabolism due to reduced insulin secretion and insnUn resistance. Dne to these defects in insulin-mediated... 

Breccia M, Muscaritoli M, Averaa Z, K delli F, Alimena G. Imatinib mesylate may im Tove fasting blood glucose in diabetic F1i+ chronic myelogenous leukemia patients re nsive to treatment. J Clin Oncol (2004) 22,4653-55. 

The compound isoferulic acid, isolated from Chinese cimicifuga, has been shown to lower plasma glucose in diabetic rats in a dose-dependent manner with effects on plasma glucose observed at doses of 5 mg/kg (intravenous) and higher (Liu et al. 1999). 

Liu, I.M., T.C. Chi, RL. Hsu, C.F. Chen, and J.T. Cheng. 1999. IsofemUc acid as active principle from the rhizoma of Cimicifuga dahurica to lower plasma glucose in diabetic rats. Planta Med. 65(8) 712-714. 

---