Abstract
Objective
The pattern of urinary excretion of total sulphated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and their particular types: chondroitin sulphate/dermatan sulphate (CS/DS) and heparan sulphate (HS) was analysed in obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treated with metformin in monotherapy for the period of six months.
Methods
The urinary sulphated glycosaminoglycans were quantitated using standardised dye (1.9-dimethylmethylene blue)-binding method and normalised to creatinine level.
Results
Urinary total GAGs, CS/DS and HS levels were significantly higher in untreated diabetic patients in comparison to healthy subjects. Moreover, it was observed that urinary total GAGs, CS/DS and HS levels in diabetic patients after six-month metformin therapy were significantly decreased versus pre-treatment situation.
Conclusions
The obtained results suggest that the six-month treatment with metformin in obese patients with T2DM has a regulating influence on the systemic changes in proteoglycans/glycosaminoglycans, resulting in a decrease in the urinary excretion of total GAGs, CS/DS and HS.
Ethical approval
Approval for this research was acquired from The Bioethical Committee of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice (KNW/0022/KB1/147/10).
Informed consent
Consent was obtained from all healthy volunteers and T2DM patients included in this study.
Disclosure statement
The authors have no conflict of interest relevant to this article to disclose.