Glucagon Counterregulation in Type 1 Diabetes

Not Applicable

Terminated

• Conditions: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
• Interventions: Other: Basal pramlintide and reduced basal insulin; Other: Basal insulin alone; Other: CGM; Other: Acetaminophen test; Other: Insulin-induced hypoglycemia; Other: Exercise-induced hypoglycemia

• Registration Number: NCT03547427
• Lead Sponsor: University of Virginia

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to find out whether the combination of insulin and pramlintide is better than insulin alone at helping the pancreas release glucagon in response to a low blood sugar episode.

A secondary goal is to assess whether basal pramlintide will delay gastric emptying.

Detailed Description

Participation in this study will require three (3) study visits over 12 weeks: one screening visit lasting 2-3 hours, and two overnight study visits at the university's Clinical Research Unit (CRU). The two overnight visits will last about 22 hours.

During the CRU admission, all subjects will wear a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) starting 2-3 days prior to the CRU admission and after having a CGM training.

Eligible subjects will be randomized to either insulin- or exercise-induced hypoglycemia group. Each subject will have two overnight CRU admissions in randomized order: Experimental (basal pramlintide + 25% reduction of basal insulin) or Control (standard basal insulin therapy) admissions. During these two admissions, the study team will deliberately induce hypoglycemia as follows:

Subjects randomized to insulin-induced hypoglycemia admission will receive an insulin bolus(s) dosed to reach blood sugar of less than 55 mg/dL.

Subjects randomized to exercise-induced hypoglycemia will participate in three 15 minute exercise bouts (45 minutes total) to lower blood sugar to less than 55 mg/dL.

After hypoglycemia induction, all subjects will receive one and the same standard meal (lunch) mixed with 1.5 g liquid acetaminophen to measure how quickly acetaminophen is absorbed to estimate the rate of gastric emptying.

The study team will collect blood samples during the hypoglycemic induction and the gastric emptying monitoring which will be analysed for levels of various substances used to address the study goals.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2018-05-20
• Study First Submitted: 2018-05-24
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-05-24
• Study First Posted: 2018-06-06
• Primary Completion: 2019-03-11
• Study Completion: 2019-03-11
• Status Verified: 2022-03
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-03-10
• Last Update Posted: 2022-03-28

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: TERMINATED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 13

Inclusion Criteria

• Clinical diagnosis, based on investigator assessment, of type 1 diabetes for at least 5 years and using insulin for at least 5 years
• Use of an insulin pump for at least 6 months with established parameters for basal rate(s), carbohydrate ratio(s) and insulin sensitivity factor(s) for at least 3 months.
• HbA1c level <10.5% at screening
• Demonstration of proper mental status and cognition for the study
• Investigator has confidence that the subject can successfully operate all study devices and is capable of adhering to the protocol

Exclusion Criteria

• Admission for diabetic ketoacidosis in the 6 months prior to enrollment.
• Severe hypoglycemia resulting in seizure or loss of consciousness in the 3 months prior to enrollment.
• Hematocrit less that the lower limit of normal for the assay.
• Pregnancy, breast-feeding, or intention of becoming pregnant over time of study procedures
• A known medical condition, which in the opinion of the investigator or designee, would put the participant or study at risk
• A recent injury to body or limb, muscular disorder, use of any medication, any carcinogenic disease, or other significant medical disorder if that injury, medication or disease in the judgment of the investigator will affect the completion of the protocol
• Current use of some drugs and supplements
• Participation in another pharmaceutical or device trial at the time of enrollment or during the study
• Basal insulin rates less than 0.01 units per hour
• Diagnosed food allergies that would prohibit the consumption of a standardized meal
• Any reason the study MD considers that the subject is not appropriate for the trial

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Insulin hypoglycemia + pramlintide	Basal pramlintide and reduced basal insulin	Subjects will have a 25% reduction in their standard basal insulin therapy with concurrent basal pramlintide infusion ('Basal pramlintide and reduced basal insulin'). They will receive a Lispro bolus to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Insulin-induced hypoglycemia'). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Insulin hypoglycemia	Basal insulin alone	Subjects will have their standard basal insulin treatment ('Basal insulin alone') and receive a Lispro bolus to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Insulin-induced hypoglycemia'). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Insulin hypoglycemia + pramlintide	CGM	Subjects will have a 25% reduction in their standard basal insulin therapy with concurrent basal pramlintide infusion ('Basal pramlintide and reduced basal insulin'). They will receive a Lispro bolus to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Insulin-induced hypoglycemia'). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Insulin hypoglycemia + pramlintide	Acetaminophen test	Subjects will have a 25% reduction in their standard basal insulin therapy with concurrent basal pramlintide infusion ('Basal pramlintide and reduced basal insulin'). They will receive a Lispro bolus to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Insulin-induced hypoglycemia'). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Insulin hypoglycemia + pramlintide	Insulin-induced hypoglycemia	Subjects will have a 25% reduction in their standard basal insulin therapy with concurrent basal pramlintide infusion ('Basal pramlintide and reduced basal insulin'). They will receive a Lispro bolus to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Insulin-induced hypoglycemia'). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Insulin hypoglycemia	CGM	Subjects will have their standard basal insulin treatment ('Basal insulin alone') and receive a Lispro bolus to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Insulin-induced hypoglycemia'). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Exercise hypoglycemia + pramlintide	Acetaminophen test	Subjects will have a 25% reduction in their standard basal insulin therapy with concurrent basal pramlintide infusion ('Basal pramlintide and reduced basal insulin'). They will have three bouts of exercise to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Exercise-induced hypoglycemia'). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Exercise hypoglycemia	Acetaminophen test	Subjects will have their standard basal insulin treatment ('Basal insulin alone'). They will have three bouts of exercise to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Exercise-induced hypoglycemia' ). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Insulin hypoglycemia	Insulin-induced hypoglycemia	Subjects will have their standard basal insulin treatment ('Basal insulin alone') and receive a Lispro bolus to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Insulin-induced hypoglycemia'). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Insulin hypoglycemia	Acetaminophen test	Subjects will have their standard basal insulin treatment ('Basal insulin alone') and receive a Lispro bolus to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Insulin-induced hypoglycemia'). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Exercise hypoglycemia + pramlintide	CGM	Subjects will have a 25% reduction in their standard basal insulin therapy with concurrent basal pramlintide infusion ('Basal pramlintide and reduced basal insulin'). They will have three bouts of exercise to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Exercise-induced hypoglycemia'). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Exercise hypoglycemia + pramlintide	Basal pramlintide and reduced basal insulin	Subjects will have a 25% reduction in their standard basal insulin therapy with concurrent basal pramlintide infusion ('Basal pramlintide and reduced basal insulin'). They will have three bouts of exercise to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Exercise-induced hypoglycemia'). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Exercise hypoglycemia	Basal insulin alone	Subjects will have their standard basal insulin treatment ('Basal insulin alone'). They will have three bouts of exercise to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Exercise-induced hypoglycemia' ). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Exercise hypoglycemia	CGM	Subjects will have their standard basal insulin treatment ('Basal insulin alone'). They will have three bouts of exercise to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Exercise-induced hypoglycemia' ). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Exercise hypoglycemia	Exercise-induced hypoglycemia	Subjects will have their standard basal insulin treatment ('Basal insulin alone'). They will have three bouts of exercise to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Exercise-induced hypoglycemia' ). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.
Exercise hypoglycemia + pramlintide	Exercise-induced hypoglycemia	Subjects will have a 25% reduction in their standard basal insulin therapy with concurrent basal pramlintide infusion ('Basal pramlintide and reduced basal insulin'). They will have three bouts of exercise to induce hypoglycemia of ≤55mg/dL ('Exercise-induced hypoglycemia'). After induction of hypoglycemia is completed subjects will have an acetaminophen test. Subjects will be instructed to initiate a CGM session 2-3 days prior to both the admissions. Blood samples will be collected during the hypoglycemic induction and acetaminophen test.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Relative glucagon counterregulation (GCR) response	about 19 hours	The primary outcome is the relative glucagon counterregulation (GCR) response, computed as the ratio between average glucagon concentration in response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia, and the pre-hypoglycemic baseline value. The baseline glucagon level is defined as the average concentration of glucagon when the falling plasma glucose is below 100mg/dl but above the hypoglycemic threshold of 60mg/dl. The response to hypoglycemia is the average concentration of glucagon between the hypoglycemic threshold crossing point and the time of the meal ingestion.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Maximal glucagon counterregulation (GCR) response	about 19 hours	The maximal glucagon concentration achieved during the response to hypoglycemia
Rate of gastric emptying	about 4 hours	The time to reaching ½ maximal acetaminophen concentration in the bloodstream after ingesting a meal mixed with 1.5 g of liquid acetaminophen.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Virginia Center for Diabetes Technology; 🇺🇸 Charlottesville, Virginia, United States