Insulin responses to glucose in non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects with and without the chlorpropamide-alcohol flush: effect of salicylate and naloxone.

We examined the role of endogenous opiates and/or prostaglandins on the abnormal insulin secretion characteristic of some non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects. A group of chlorpropamide-alcohol flush positive (CPAF+) and a group of flush negative (CPAF-) non-insulin-dependent subjects were compared as to their pancreatic beta-cell responses to intravenous glucose tolerance tests before and after sodium salicylate infusion, and before and after naloxone infusion. There was no difference in mean insulin secretion (either first or second phase) between CPAF+ versus CPAF- groups. Both groups increased their insulin secretion with salicylate infusion, and both had a small decrease with naloxone infusion. There was no correlation between chlorpropamide-alcohol flushing and beta-cell response to glucose.