Urinary sulphated glycosaminoglycans excretion in obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with metformin

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.

Keywords:

• Urinary glycosaminoglycans
• chondroitin sulphate/dermatan sulphate
• heparan sulphate
• type 2 diabetes mellitus
• metformin
• HOMA-IR2

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.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, grant no. KNW-1–031/N/9/0.