Glutathione Metabolism in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes - Study A
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2009-02-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Glutathione is normally present at high (millimolar) levels in blood and plays an important
role in the body's defense against oxidative stress, that is, against the damage caused to
the body by reactive oxygen species produced by the metabolism of most nutrients, including
glucose. Glutathione is a small peptide made from 3 amino acids, glutamate, cysteine, and
glycine.
This study is looking at how blood sugar levels may affect the way glutathione is made and
used by the body. Since glutathione is continuously synthesized and broken down, the amount
of glutathione present in blood depends on the balance between its rate of synthesis and its
rate of use.
In earlier studies, the investigators found that in poorly controlled diabetic teenagers,
glutathione was low, not because its production was decreased, but because it was used at an
excessive rate. In this study, the investigators want to determine how short-term changes in
blood sugar levels affect glutathione levels. This will help improve our understanding of how
diabetes affects metabolism.