[Pathogenetic relationships between obesity and maturity-onset diabetes].

The influences of the biguanide therapy on the behaviour of the glucose tolerance and the reactive IRI-values in obese diabetics were investigated. Apart from this a group treated with sulfonylurea was compared. Here besides the IRI-values the fat parameters were tested. Apart from these investigations the half-life periods of insulin in obese diabetics were established before and after the treatment with biguanides and compared with the half-life period in diabetics treated with insulin. In a small group a tolbutamide test was carried out and the insulin secretion, the STH-values, and the cortisol values were examined. The investigations permitted the conclusion that the increased IRI-levels are to be explained by a hypertrophy of lipocytes, when at the same time the carbohydrate tolerance is reduced. The hypertrophic fat cell needs more insulin for the induction of glucose than the normal lipocyte. By this means also the improvement of the carbohydrate tolerance after reduction of weight is to be explained. Finally it is tried to interpret the behaviour of the fat parameters.