| diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent | Diabetes characterised by the ability to survive without ketoacidosis in the absence of insulin therapy. It is usually of slow onset and patients exhibit a tendency to obesity. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| insulin | <drug, growth factor, hormone> A polypeptide hormone (bovine insulin, 5780D) found in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Secreted by the _ cells of the pancreas in response to high blood sugar levels, it induces hypoglycaemia. Defective secretion of insulin is the cause of diabetes mellitus. Insulin is also a mitogen, has sequence homologies with other growth factors and is a frequent addition to cell culture media for demanding cell types. (18 Nov 1997) |
| insulin activating factor | <chemical> Activates insulin gene transcription in pancreatic beta cells. Synonym: insaf (05 Dec 1998) |
| insulin allergy | When a person's body has an allergic or bad reaction to taking insulin made from pork or beef or from bacteria, or because the insulin is not exactly the same as human insulin or because it has impurities. The allergy can be of two forms. Sometimes an area of skin becomes red and itchy around the place where the insulin is injected. This is called a local allergy. In another form, a person's whole body can have a bad reaction. This is called a systemic allergy. The person can have hives or red patches all over the body or may feel changes in the heart rate and in the rate of breathing. A doctor may treat this allergy by prescribing purified insulins or by desensitisation. See: desensitisation. (09 Oct 1997) |
| insulin antagonist | Something that opposes or fights the action of insulin. Insulin lowers the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood, whereas glucagon raises it, therefore, glucagon is an antagonist of insulin. (09 Oct 1997) |
| insulin-antagonizing factor | A principle in extracts of the anterior lobe of the hypophysis that raises the blood sugar and antagonises the action of insulin; purified pituitary growth hormone produces an identical effect. Synonym: insulin-antagonizing factor. (05 Mar 2000) |
| insulin binding | When insulin attaches itself to something else. This can occur in two ways. First, when a cell needs energy, insulin can bind with the outer part of the cell. The cell then can bring glucose (sugar) inside and use it for energy. With the help of insulin, the cell can do its work very well and very quickly. But sometimes the body acts against itself. In this second case, the insulin binds with antibodies. If the insulin is an injected form of insulin and not made by the body, the body sees the insulin as an outside or foreign substance. When the injected insulin binds with the antibodies, it does not work as well as when it binds directly to the cell. (09 Oct 1997) |
| insulin coma treatment | Rarely used treatment of major mental illness by means of hypoglycaemic coma induced by insulin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| insulin c-peptide | <investigation> A blood test which measures the amount of C-peptide in the blood. C-peptide is a byproduct of normal insulin production by the beta cells in the pancreas. Normal values are 0.5 to 3.0 ng/ml. Normal levels indicate that the body is still producing its own insulin. Low levels indicate that the pancreas is producing little or no insulin. Elevations can be seen in cases of insulinomas and islet of Langerhans tumours. (27 Sep 1997) |
| insulin dependent diabetes | A form of diabetes that requires the daily injection of the hormone insulin to maintain normal body chemistry. Avoidance of insulin in these patients will result in a severe metabolic derangement known as diabetic ketoacidosis. (27 Sep 1997) |
| insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus | A chronic condition in which the pancreas makes little or no insulin because the beta cells have been destroyed. The body is then not able to use the glucose (blood sugar) for energy. IDDM usually comes on abruptly, although the damage to the beta cells may begin much earlier. The signs of IDDM are a great thirst, hunger, a need to urinate often, and loss of weight. To treat the disease, the person must inject insulin, follow a diet plan, exercise daily, and test blood glucose several times a day. IDDM usually occurs in children and adults who are under age 30. This type of diabetes used to be known as juvenile diabetes, juvenile-onset diabetes, and ketosis-prone diabetes. (09 Oct 1997) |
| insulin hypoglycaemia test | A test to determine the completeness of vagotomy for peptic ulcer; after the surgical procedure is performed, insulin is administered to cause hypoglycaemia; if vagotomy is complete, the acid output from the stomach following administration of insulin is less than that before insulin administration; if the reverse if true, incomplete vagotomy is likely. Synonym: Hollander test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| insulin infusion systems | Portable or implantable devices for infusion of insulin. Includes open-loop systems which may be patient-operated or controlled by a pre-set program and are designed for constant delivery of small quantities of insulin, increased during food ingestion, and closed-loop systems which deliver quantities of insulin automatically based on an electronic glucose sensor. (12 Dec 1998) |
| insulin injection | A preparation that may contain 20, 40, 80, 100, or 500 USP insulin units per ml, although the trend is toward standardizing all insulin preparations at 100 units per ml; it is administered subcutaneously, occasionally intravenously, and has a rapid onset of action, has a brief duration (5 to 7 hours), and is compatible for mixing with long-acting insulin preparations; used in the treatment of diabetic acidosis and insulin coma. Synonym: regular insulin injection. (05 Mar 2000) |
| insulin, isophane | <chemical> An intermediate-acting insulin with an approximate time of onset of 2 hours and duration of action of 24 hours, consisting of bovine or pork insulin reacted with zinc chloride and protamine to form a protein complex with a ratio of free and bound insulin, providing action intermediate between regular insulin and protamine zinc insulin. Pharmacological action: hypoglycaemic agents. Chemical name: Insulin Isophane (12 Dec 1998) |