The effect of Ramadan fasting—defined as abstinence from eating or drinking from dawn till sunset during this lunar month—on the control of diabetes mellitus was studied in 47 type II diabetic patients and in a group of non-diabetic subjects. Body weight, glycosylated hemoglobin were determined before and immediately after Ramadan in both groups while glycosylated protein was also measured in 9 diabetic patients.
The relationship between islet cell antibodies (ICA) and pancreatic beta cell secretory activity was studied in 108 newly diagnosed untreated adult diabetic patients. Beta cell function was evaluated by measuring C-peptide immunoreactivity (CPR) in the fasting state and 6 min after an intravenous injection of glucagon. Residual beta cell function was present in 90 ICA negative (97.9%) and in 15 ICA positive (93.8%) patients (CPR after stimulation > 0.06 nM/l).
Biochemistry is a science with many direct medical, industrial and analytical applications, besides its numer-
ous contributions to various aspects of some overlapping sciences, such as genetics, genetic engineering, haematology, microbiology and chemical pathology. Attempts are being made, however, to eliminate the distinction between the basic and applied aspects of biochemistry at least in some universities.
Metabolic indices were assessed in 217 Saudi diabetic patients and 57 control subjects in relation to Body Mass Index (BMI). Patients with BMI values greater than or equal to 27 in male and greater than or equal to 25 in female were considered obese. Obesity was found more frequent in females (82.7%) than in males (40.9%) (p less than 0.01). Basal glucose and HbA1C levels were lower in obese males than in females. C-peptide levels were higher (p less than 0.01) in the obese subjects than in the non-obese. Within the obese group c-peptide levels were higher in males than in females.
1. The camel has insulin receptors that by multiple function criteria are very similar to those of the other mammals (rabbit and rat) and non-mammals (chicken and pigeon), with sharp pH dependence to insulin binding at pH 7.2-7.6.
2. Equilibrium binding was faster at higher temperatures (24-37 degrees C) than at lower (4 degrees C).