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Zinc Supplementation Does Not Affect Glucagon Response to Intravenous Glucose and Insulin Infusion in Patients with Well-Controlled Type 2 Diabetes

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Abstract

Glucagon dysregulation is an essential component in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. Studies in vitro and in animal models have shown that zinc co-secreted with insulin suppresses glucagon secretion. Zinc supplementation improves blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes, although there is little information about how zinc supplementation may affect glucagon secretion. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of 1-year zinc supplementation on fasting plasma glucagon concentration and in response to intravenous glucose and insulin infusion in patients with type 2 diabetes. A cross-sectional study was performed after 1-year of intervention with 30 mg/day zinc supplementation or a placebo on 28 patients with type 2 diabetes. Demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical parameters were determined. Fasting plasma glucagon and in response to intravenous glucose and insulin infusion were evaluated. Patients of both placebo and supplemented groups presented a well control of diabetes, with mean values of fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin within the therapeutic goals established by ADA. No significant differences were observed in plasma glucagon concentration, glucagon/glucose ratio or glucagon/insulin ratio fasting, after glucose or after insulin infusions between placebo and supplemented groups. No significant effects of glucose or insulin infusions were observed on plasma glucagon concentration. One-year zinc supplementation did not affect fasting plasma glucagon nor response to intravenous glucose or insulin infusion in well-controlled type 2 diabetes patients with an adequate zinc status.

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Funding

This research was funded by the National Fund for Development of Science and Technology (FONDECYT), research project 1120323. A.P. was recipient of National Commission for Research in Science and Technology (CONICYT) National Doctoral Fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Independencia 1027, Santiago, Chile

    Alvaro Pérez, Pamela Rojas, Fernando Carrasco, Karen Basfi-fer, Francisco Pérez-Bravo, Juana Codoceo, Jorge Inostroza & Manuel Ruz

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  1. Alvaro Pérez
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  2. Pamela Rojas
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  3. Fernando Carrasco
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  4. Karen Basfi-fer
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  7. Jorge Inostroza
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  8. Manuel Ruz
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Contributions

A.P., J.C., and J.I. collected and analyzed samples. A.P. performed statistical analyses. A.P. and M.R. interpreted the results and wrote the manuscript. A.P., P.R., F.C., K.B., F.P., and M.R. reviewed and edited the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manuel Ruz.

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Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study protocol was approved by ethics committee of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile. All patients gave their informed consent prior to the beginning of the study.

Conflict of Interest

M.R., P.R., F.C., K.B., F.P., and J.I. were coauthors of the research project Fondecyt 1120323. The rest of authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Pérez, A., Rojas, P., Carrasco, F. et al. Zinc Supplementation Does Not Affect Glucagon Response to Intravenous Glucose and Insulin Infusion in Patients with Well-Controlled Type 2 Diabetes. Biol Trace Elem Res 185, 255–261 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-018-1249-6

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