Short-term effects of diethylaminoethyl-dextran on postprandial gastrointestinal hormone responses in man.

The effects of oral diethylaminoethyl-dextran (3 g total), taken 30 min before a standard mixed test meal, on plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, total lipids, gastrin-like immunoreactivity, bombesin-like immunoreactivity, gastric-inhibitory-polypeptide-like immunoreactivity and neurotensin-like immunoreactivity were evaluated in eight healthy volunteers following a double-blind protocol. Incremental peak plasma concentrations of total lipids and triglycerides were significantly reduced by pretreatment with diethylaminoethyl-dextran pretreatment, while peaks of plasma glucose and total cholesterol were not significantly affected. Diethylaminoethyl-dextran also inhibited postprandial gastrin-like gastric-inhibitory-polypeptide-like and neurotensin-like immunoreactivity; by contrast, bombesin-like immunoreactivity was not significantly modified. The present study indicates that diethylaminoethyl-dextran is able to regulate some postprandial metabolic and hormonal parameters in man; consequently it might be useful in the treatment of hyperlipoproteinaemia and obesity.