Nateglinide is useful for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In the present study we administered nateglinide to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients with type 2 diabetes who had failed to respond adequately to diet and exercise therapy, and we compared the resulting changes in insulin kinetics and improvements in blood glucose levels, as well as the concomitant changes in hepatic function, diagnostic liver images and liver histology, with the results from a non-treated control group.

METHODOLOGY

Subjects for this study consisted of 10 patients with NASH. They all suffered from diabetes and they were all diagnosed with fatty liver by abdominal ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT). Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis was diagnosed as the result of liver biopsy. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups, the nateglinide-treated group and the non-treated control group. Each group contained five patients. The members of the nateglinide-treated group were administered nateglinide every day (270mg/day) before each meal for a period of 20 weeks. Both groups continued to receive diet and exercise therapy. Body mass index (BMI), blood chemistry, plasma glucose and HbAlc, abdominal US and CT were measured before treatment, and every four weeks thereafter. Liver biopsy was performed over again at 16 weeks af terinitiating treatment.

RESULTS

The results were compared. Postprandial blood glucose, HbA1c, a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, liver function, abdominal US and CT imaging tests and liver histological findings were all improved after treatment with nateglinide.

CONCLUSIONS

From these results we concluded that nateglinide is useful in the treatment of NASH in patients with type 2 diabetes.