Insulin analogues — not faster than U 40 regular human insulin?

Abstract

It was shown recently that insulin analogues are absorbed significantly faster than U 100 (100 units/ml) regular human insulin from the subcutaneous tissue in healthy volunteers [1,2]. Such a difference could not be demonstrated, however, in animal experiments comparing S.C. injected insulin analogues and U 40 human regular insulin [3]. In extension of our previous observations [l] we report on 6 healthy human volunteers, in whom 2 regular human insulin preparations of different strengths (U 40 and U 100 Actrapid HM, Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd Denmark) were studied, as well as 2 insulin analogues (B9AspB27Glu and BlOAsp). The insulin preparations (0.15 U/kg body wt.) and the insulin analogues were administered subcutaneously in equipotent doses.The materials and methods have been described recently [ 1,4]. In brief, an euglycaemic clamp was applied using Biostator, and the insulin action was assessed by the glucose infusion rate (GIR; mg/kg/min) required to maintain glycaemia at 5 mmol/l throughout the experiment. As a result, the hypoglycaemic action of U 40 regular human insulin is just between that of U 100 insulin and the