Reduced gut sensitivity and GIGD

What is it about?

Diminished incretin effect is an early characteristic of type 2 diabetes, but the underlying mechanisms are uncertain. The incretin effect is in part found to be dependent on intact vagal transmission At the same time, there is an increased awareness of diabetic autonomic neuropathy being present in early stages of diabetes. So, could the diminished incretin effect in type 2 diabetes partly caused by impaired vagal transmission and regulation related to diabetic autonomic neuropathy? We conducted a study including participants with either longstanding type 2 diabetes, recent onset, untreated diabetes and controls without diabetes matched for age, sex and body mass index. Autonomic nerve function was assessed with cardiovascular reflex tests, heart rate variability and sudomotor function. Visceral afferent nerves in the gut were tested performing rapid rectal balloon distention. An oral glucose tolerance test and an intravenous isoglycaemic glucose infusion were performed to calculate the incretin effect and gastrointestinal-mediated glucose disposal (GIGD).

Featured Image

Why is it important?

We demonstrate for the first time a visceral hyposensitivity of the gut in early stages of diabetes, and an association between visceral hyposensitivity and gastrointestinal-mediated glucose disposal, but not the incretin effect per se.

Perspectives