THE EFFECT OF ORAL INSULIN BASED ON SPH AND SP ON SERUM LEVELS OF GLUCOSE, INSULIN AND C-PEPTIDE IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS

All contemporary methods of insulin administration are non-physiological. The euglycemia that is achieved in at the expense of the adverse effects of systemic hyper-insulinemia, emphasize the importance of devising methods to deliver insulin physiologically and directly into the portal circulation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the oral absorption of insulin from gastrointestinal tract, using novel oral drug delivery system delivery based on superporouse hydrogel (SPH) and SPH composite (SPHC) in combination with insulin. This study has been done based on interventional clinical trial in healthy volunteers. Capsules containing insulin and SPH &SPHC in various combination were administered orally, to 15 non-diabetics subjects in order to assess this biological effects and safety. Serum glucose, insulin and C - peptide levels were determined, at predetermined timed intervals up to 4 h. An increase in serum insulin level was demonstrated in all subjects that used polymer plus insulin. The nadir of serum glucose level appeared after 60 - 120 min following the ingestion of polymer plus insulin. Serum C - peptide levels were suppressed while exogenous insulin was absorbed at the same time. No adverse effects were detected during the trial and several weeks following the trial using SPH based drug delivery system. Insulin in combination with novel delivery agents, SPH & SPHC, given orally was partially absorbed through the GI tract in a biologically active form. This was demonstrated by serum glucose lowering effect of the delivery system as well as a suppression of plasma C-peptide which also represented a decrease in endogenous insulin secretion.