Diabetes Flashcards
What is Diabetes Mellitus?
A syndrome of chronic hyperglycaemia due to a relative insulin deficiency, resistance or both
What should normal blood glucose levels be under all conditions?
3.5- 8.0mmol/L
What is the principal organ of homeostasis?
The liver
In what ways does the liver control glucose levels?
- Stores and absorbs it
- performs gluconeogensis
- performs glycogen’s if blood glucose is too high
- Lipogenesis
What does the liver do if the blood glucose levels are too low?
Splits glycogen converting it to glucose in a process called gluconeogensis
How much glucose if produced and utilised a day?
200g
Which organ is the main consumer of glucose?
The brain
Why can the brain now use free fatty acid conversion into ketone bodies for energy?
Free fatty acids can’t cross the BBB
Is glucose uptake in the brain dependent on insulin?
No
What is the function of insulin?
- Suppresses hepatic glucose output
- Increases glucose uptake into insulin sensitive cells
What does biphasic insulin release mean?
First phase is rapid release when the b cells sense the rising glucose levels.
Second phase is if the levels remain high
What does glucagon do?
- Increases hepatic glucose output
- Reduces peripheral glucose update
- Stimulates: Lipolysis and muscle glyconeolysis and breakdown
What is C peptide?
It joins together the alpha and beta chains in proinsulin which is the precursor to insulin
What happens in regards to C peptide when insulin is being produced?
There ends up being high levels of C peptide in the blood due to the fact that proinsulin is cleaved from its c peptide.
After secretion where is insulin carried to?
The liver