Liraglutide Actions on the Liver: Effects on Glucose Phosphorylation
Status:
Withdrawn
Trial end date:
2020-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that has reached epidemic proportions. In order to
improve our strategies for preventing and treating type 2 diabetes the investigators need to
better understand the mechanism of this disease, and the way in which current therapies, such
as the drug liraglutide, work to control blood sugar. It is known that liraglutide acts via
increasing the secretion of the hormone insulin from the pancreas, hormone that in turn
controls blood sugar. However, it is not known whether liraglutide also has actions on the
liver. Animal studies have suggested that liraglutide might act by controlling the liver
enzyme glucokinase (GCK), an enzyme that increases blood sugar uptake by the liver. This
could be a crucial mechanism in which liraglutide controls blood sugar independently of
insulin, thus making it beneficial not only in type 2 but also in type 1 diabetes. The effect
of liraglutide on GCK activity has not been yet measured in humans. The investigators propose
to investigate the acute and chronic effect of liraglutide on GCK by using a simple, widely
used procedure (an IntraVenous Glucose Tolerance Test-IVGTT) and a novel approach
(mathematical modeling of data obtained from this procedure), to assess GCK activity in
people with type 2 diabetes. The investigators will first compare data obtained form 2 IVGTTs
(with and without liraglutide) performed 1 week apart (acute effect). The investigators will
then give liraglutide to patients for 6 weeks and do another IVGTT to measure GCK activity
(chronic effects). Data obtained from this study will be used to further understand the
mechanism of liraglutide action and how to better employ our current therapeutic options and
develop new strategies for preventing and treating diabetes.