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Diabetologia

, Volume 24, Issue 6, pp 433–436 | Cite as

Plasma N-acetyl-β,D-glucosaminidase activities and glycaemia in diabetes mellitus

  • P. Y. W. Poon
  • T. M. E. Davis
  • T. L. Dornan
  • R. C. Turner
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Summary

The plasma activity of the lysosomal enzyme N-acetyl-β, D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) has been shown to correlate with hyperglycaemia; their temporal relationships have been investigated. In 12 insulin-treated male diabetic patients, NAGase showed a slight diurnal variation with a nadir at 07.00 h (F=9.54, p<0.001). The mean plasma glucose and NAGase fluctuated similarly (rs=0.88, p<0.01) but did not correlate within individual patients. Normoglycaemia was induced in eight insulin-treated diabetic patients for 4 days but the mean NAGase did not fall significantly. Glycaemic improvement over 3 months was achieved by dietary therapy in 28 newly-presenting non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients: there were significant falls in mean fasting plasma glucose (mean±SD: 12.8±3.3 to 8.3±3.1 mmol/l; p<0.001), glycosylated haemoglobin levels (12.4±2.4 to 9.3±2.3%, p< 0.001) and a corresponding decrease of NAGase (1.5±0.5 to 1.2±0.4 μmol 4-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamide released.h−1.ml−1; p<0.001). The change in NAGase correlated with the changes in plasma glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin levels (r = 0.61, p<0.025; r = 0.48, p<0.05, respectively). Plasma NAGase activity may be influenced by glycaemia in diabetes.

Key words

N-acetyl-β D-glucosaminidase hyperglycaemia glycosylated haemoglobin insulin infusion diurnal variation 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1983

Authors and Affiliations

  • P. Y. W. Poon
    • 1
  • T. M. E. Davis
    • 1
  • T. L. Dornan
    • 1
  • R. C. Turner
    • 1
  1. 1.Diabetes Research Laboratories, Nuffield Department of Clinical MedicineRadcliffe InfirmaryOxfordUK

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