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A Personal Microbiome-dependent Glucose Response in Healthy Young Volunteers

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Blood Glucose, High
Interventions
Other: Standardized breakfast
Registration Number
NCT03686293
Lead Sponsor
University of Copenhagen
Brief Summary

Individuals eating identical meals present high variability in post-meal blood glucose response making comparisons challenging. This study evaluates in 40 healthy and fasted participants whether the postprandial glucose response upon a standardized breakfast is dependent on gut microbial richness. Gastric emptying rate, intestinal transit time, insulin, appetite hormones and measures of the intestinal microbiome and fermentation will also be analyzed in the context of postprandial glucose metabolism.

Detailed Description

Elevated blood glucose levels constitute a major risk factor for pre-diabetic and diabetic patients. Postprandial glucose tests have been used for decades to monitor and compare glucose responses. Yet, individuals eating identical meals present high variability in post-meal blood glucose response making comparisons challenging. A recent landmark study showed that the inter-individual variation of postprandial glucose responses was associated with multiple person-specific factors including faecal microbiome factors. Gut microbial richness has for a long time been considered a hallmark of gut health and stability. Furthermore, microbial richness has been associated with colonic transit time, which together with the gastric emptying rate appear to be major determinants of the initial glycaemic response to carbohydrate-containing meals. Therefore, the aim of the study is to investigate whether postprandial glucose responses are associated with gut microbial richness, as well as secondary measures including gastric emptying rate, intestinal transit time and gut microbial composition and fermentation.

In an acute-meal study, 40 healthy fasted participants will consume a standardized breakfast including one tablet of paracetamol (for estimating gastric emptying rate) and 300 mL of juice.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
31
Inclusion Criteria
  • BMI < 27
  • Willing to eat lentils, tomatoes, spaghetti, bread, butter, strawberry jam, and drink juice
  • Known ability to tolerate paracetamol
  • No current use of medication (oral contraceptive pill and mild antidepressants is allowed)
  • Did not take antibiotics, diarrhoea inhibitors and laxatives in the 6 previous months
  • Willing to collect and deliver a faecal sample on the intervention day
  • Willing to eat corn and fill out a self-reported corn-intestinal transit time questionnaire
  • Willing to consume a paracetamol tablet (500 mg paracetamol)
Exclusion Criteria
  • Any condition that makes the project responsible researcher to doubt the feasibility of the volunteer's participation
  • Pregnant or lactating women
  • Suffering from irritable bowel disease (IBS), small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
  • Current chronic or infectious disease
  • Current diagnosis of diabetes
  • Blood donations within 3 months before participating in the current trial or participation in other scientific experiments
  • Frequent intake of painkillers (paracetamol)

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Paracetamol and breakfastStandardized breakfastOne tablet of paracetamol (500 mg) and a standardized breakfast will be consumed within 15 minutes one morning upon 10 hours of fasting
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Postprandial plasma glucose at 60 min as a function of gut microbial richness60 min

We test whether there is an inverse association between baseline fecal gut microbial richness and postprandial plasma glucose at 60 min after a standardised meal including 0.5 g paracetamol

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Postprandial glucose 0-60 min as a function of gastric emptying0, 15, 30, 60 min

We test associations between gastric emptying measured as AUC 0-60 min of postprandial paracetamol concentration profiles in blood and postprandial plasma glucose at 60 min during a standardised meal including 0.5 g paracetamol

Time to plasma glucose maximum concentration as a function of gut microbial diversity/richness0, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min

We test associations between gut microbial diversity/richness and the time to the postprandial plasma glucose maximum concentration \[Cmax\] after a standardised meal including 0.5 g paracetamol

Postprandial plasma glucose AUC as a function of gut microbial richness/diversity0, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min

We test associations between gut microbial diversity/richness and AUC 0-120 min for plasma glucose after a standardised meal including 0.5 g paracetamol

Maximum plasma glucose concentration as a function of gut microbial diversity/richness0, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min

We test associations between gut microbial diversity/richness and maximum postprandial plasma glucose concentration \[Cmax\] after a standardised meal including 0.5 g paracetamol.

Gastric emptying and postprandial glucose 0-120 min0, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min

We test associations between gastric emptying measured as AUC 0-120 min of postprandial paracetamol concentration profiles in blood and postprandial plasma glucose AUC 0-120 min during a standardised meal test with intake of 0.5 g paracetamol

Fasting (baseline) plasma glucose as a function of gut microbial diversity/richness0 min

We test whether there is an inverse association between fasting plasma glucose and baseline fecal gut microbial richness (cross-sectionally)

Postprandial plasma glucose extremes as a function of gut microbial diversity/richness0, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min

We test associations between gut microbial diversity/richness and the difference from the postprandial plasma glucose peak to the glucose level after 60 min or at the postprandial minimum between 30-120 min after a standardised meal including 0.5 g paracetamol.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen

🇩🇰

Frederiksberg, Denmark

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