Physiology of diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance Flashcards
(43 cards)
A
Insulin
B
Glucagon
Insulin resistance
the diminished ability of cells to respond to the action of insulin in transporting glucose from the blood into tissues.
Potential physiological causes of insulin resistance
- Pregnancy
- Stress
Potential pathological causes of insulin resistance
- Obesity
- Hereditary predisposition
- Concurrent diseases
- Endocrinopathies
- Hyperadrenocorticism
- Acromegaly (GH excess)
Outline the pathway from initial insulin resistance to Type 2 diabetic
Insulin resistance (compensated) → insulin resistance (uncompensated) → Type 2 diabetic
Compensated insulin resistance
‘normal’ concentrations of insulin are unable to remove glucose from the bloodstream; the pancreas then secretes more insulin leading to hyperinsulinaemia (i.e. compensating)
Uncompensated insulin resistance
beta cell exhaustion (glucose toxicity): the beta cells can no longer maintain the insulin levels required to overcome the insulin resistance
Diabetes mellitus
Relative or absolute insulin deficiency
Of the following processes, explain how they could lead to hyperglycaemia:
- Reduced tissue utilisation of glucose
- Increased tissue utilisation of amino acids and fatty acids
- Increased hepatic glycogenolysis
- Increased hepatic gluconeogenesis
- Reduced tissue utilisation of glucose → increased circulating glucose
- Increased tissue utilisation of amino acids and fatty acids → ???
- Increased hepatic glycogenolysis → increased circulating glucose
- Increased hepatic gluconeogenesis → increased circulating glucose
Type 1 diabetes
beta cell destruction, usually leading to absolute insulin deficiency. May be idiopathic or immune-mediated.
Type 2 diabetes
May range from predominantly insulin resistance with relative insulin deficiency to predominantly secretory defect with or without insulin resistance.
Reasons why diabetes could arise - issues with insulin production
- Pancreatectomy
- Pancreatitis
- Autoimmunity
- Islet cell hypoplasia
- Chemical toxicity
Changes to which hormones could lead to diabetes
- Progesterone/progestagens
- Growth hormone
- Glucocorticoids
- Glucagon
- Catecholamines
- Thyroid hormones
What are some potential sites of dysfunction in obesity-induced insulin resistance?
- Inadequate number of insulin receptors
- Defective insulin receptor structure
- Cell signalling pathway
- Defective GLUT4 transport proteins
- Problems with translocation of GLUT4 to the membrane
- Interference with the function of GLUT4
What is IDDM and which species is it common in?
Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
- Most common form of diabetes
- The animal has a permanent insulin deficiency and requires exogenous insulin
- Almost 100% of dogs, 50-70% of cats
What is NIDDM and which species is it common in?
Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
- Obesity-induced insulin resistance
- The animal can produce some insulin but there is resistance to it/perhaps it is being antagonised by something
- Common in cats but rare in dogs
True/false: IDDM is the same as Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
True, but it’s complicated.
In small animals:
IDDM = consistent with Type 1 diabetes mellitus
IDDM or NIDDM = consistent with Type 2 diabetes mellitus
What are the potential causes of canine diabetes mellitus? (common causes in bold)
- Immune-mediated (T cell) destruction of beta cells (may have genetic susceptibility to this)
- Pancreatitis with beta cell destruction
- Obesity-induced insulin resistance
- Insulin-antagonistic disease/conditions
- Insulin-antagonistic drugs e.g. glucocorticoids
Describe how immune-mediated destruction of beta cells could lead to canine diabetes mellitus
- Autoantibodies against insulin and/or beta cells
- Progressive decrease in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion
- Breed predisposition does exist
Describe how pancreatitis with beta cell destruction could lead to canine diabetes mellitus
- Spontaneous inflammation of pancreas with damage to islets and beta cells
- May take one severe bout or several over time
Describe how insulin-antagonists disease/conditions could lead to canine diabetes mellitus
- e.g. hyperadrenocorticism, met/dioestrus
- Specific hormones e.g. cortisol and growth hormone can antagonise the action of insulin and induce peripheral insulin resistance
- These are the counter-regulatory hormones usually evoked in hypoglycaemia → excessive amounts of any of them can promote diabetes
Excessive amounts of which hormones (and what disease processes) can lead to diabetes mellitus?
(because they are insulin-antagonistic in action)
- Cortisol e.g. may be due to HAC or iatrogenic
- Growth hormone e.g. in acromegaly
- Catecholamines e.g. phaeochromocytoma
- Glucagon e.g. glucagonoma
- Progesterone e.g. diestrus/gestation
Give the possible causes of feline diabetes mellitus
- Obesity-induced insulin resistance
- Islet amyloidosis
- Pancreatitis
- Insulin-antagonistic drug e.g. glucocorticoids
- Insulin-antagonistic disease e.g. acromegaly
- Genetics