Aims: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog promotes insulin secretion by acting on pancreatic β-cells. This antihyperglycemic treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) has attracted increased clinical attention not only for its antihyperglycemic action but also for its potential extrapancreatic effects. We investigated whether liraglutide, a GLP-1 analog, could enhance insulin sensitivity as assessed by the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp in type 2 DM patients.
Materials: We prospectively enrolled 31 uncontrolled type 2 DM patients who were hospitalized and equally managed by guided diet- and exercise-therapies and then introduced to either liraglutide- or intensive insulin-therapy for 4 weeks. Insulin sensitivity was assessed by the glucose infusion rate (GIR) using hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp before and after the therapies.
Results: Values of HbA1c, postprandial plasma glucose, and body mass index (BMI) were significantly decreased by hospitalized intensive insulin-therapy or liraglutide-therapy. GIR was significantly increased by liraglutide-therapy but not by insulin-therapy, indicating that liraglutide-therapy significantly enhanced insulin sensitivity. BMI decreased during liraglutide-therapy but was not significantly correlated with changes in GIR. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that liraglutide-therapy significantly correlated with increased insulin sensitivity in uncontrolled DM patients.
Conclusions: Liraglutide may exhibit favorable effects on diabetes control for type 2 DM patients by increasing insulin sensitivity as an extrapancreatic action. Clinical trial registration Unique Identifier is UMIN000015201.