Role of Growth Hormone Antagonism in Modulating Insulin Sensitivity in Subjects With Pre-diabetes
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2015-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Growth hormone is well known to cause changes in glucose regulation. People with Laron
syndrome are born without the growth hormone receptor and are protected from diabetes. Mice
who are engineered without the growth hormone receptor are similarly protected from diabetes.
Conversely, people who have excessive amounts of growth hormone, such as patients with
acromegaly, have an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. In acromegaly patients, treatment
with pegvisomant, a medication that reduces insulin like growth factor-1 by blocking the
growth hormone receptor, significantly improves insulin resistance. Pegvisomant has not been
explored as a possibility for the treatment of type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance in
people without acromegaly. In this study, the investigators hope to study the metabolic
effects of pegvisomant on people who have insulin resistance but not diabetes. Pegivosmant is
expected to improve insulin resistance in the liver, fat and muscle as well as decrease serum
free fatty acids.