Hypoglycemic effect of subcutaneously injected biosynthetic human proinsulin in healthy man.

The effects of equipotent subcutaneously injected amounts of biosynthetic human proinsulin and biosynthetic human NPH insulin on blood glucose levels were compared in healthy male volunteers. Mean blood glucose levels decreased to approximately 50 mg/dl after injection of NPH insulin and to 46 mg/dl after injection of proinsulin. This difference reached statistical significance only between 200 and 310 min. after injection. Blood glucose levels rose only marginally thereafter, but increased promptly after ingestion of the standard meal. No differences were observed between the groups. The serum insulin levels reflected the known time insulin curves after NPH injection. The maximum of the proinsulin levels occurred about 4 hours after the injection. Subcutaneous injection of equipotent amounts of biosynthetic human proinsulin and biosynthetic human insulin have similar effects on blood glucose levels.