Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2011) 26 P570

ECE2011 Poster Presentations Cardiovascular endocrinology and lipid metabolism (34 abstracts)

B-type natriuretic peptide modulates the response to intravenous glucose in a placebo-controlled cross-over study in healthy volunteers

B Heinisch 1 , G Vila 1 , M Resl 1 , M Riedl 1 , A Luger 1 , G Pacini 2 & M Clodi 1


1Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Padua, Italy.


B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a hormone secreted from the heart in response to volume load and serves clinically as a reliable biomarker in the diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction and heart failure. As patients with heart failure present an increased risk for developing diabetes, we aimed to investigate the role of BNP on parameters of glucose metabolism in a placebo-controlled crossover study performed in 10 healthy volunteers (25±1 years; BMI 23±1 kg/m2; fasting glucose 83±2 mg/dl). Participants received intravenously either placebo or 3 pmol/kg per minute BNP-32 for 4 h. One hour after beginning the BNP/placebo infusion, a 3 h intravenous glucose tolerance test (0.33 g/kg glucose +0.03 U/kg insulin at 20 min) was started. Plasma glucose, insulin and C-peptide were frequently measured and minimal model analysis was performed.

BNP increased the glucose distribution volume (13±1% BW vs. 11±1, P<0.002), leading to an overall reduction of glucose concentrations (P<0.001) especially during the initial 20 min of the test (P=0.001). This was accompanied by a reduction of the initial C-peptide levels (4.3±0.4 ng/ml vs. 4.9±0.3, P=0.015). On the other hand, BNP had no specific impact on beta cell function (129±17 vs. 124±11 pmolCP/mmolG), insulin clearance (8.7±1.1 vs. 8.3±0.7 ml/min per kilogram) and insulin sensitivity (10±1 vs. 9±2×104 min−1/(μU/ml)), all P>0.6.

Intravenous administration of BNP increases glucose distribution volume lowering plasma glucose concentrations after a glucose load without affecting beta cell function and insulin sensitivity. These results speak for the concept that BNP does not worsen, but improves diabetes in patients with heart failure, and open otherwise new questions regarding BNP-induced differences in glucose availability and signaling in several organs/tissues.

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