Summary
Various agents have been tried in subjects with newly diagnosed Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in an attempt to preserve Beta-cell function. In this double-blind study, nicotinamide or placebo were given for one year to 35 children and adolescents with newly-diagnosed Type 1 diabetes. All subjects were within six weeks of diagnosis and were between the ages of 6 and 18 years. Nicotinamide, a poly-(ADP-ribose) synthetase inhibitor, was given in a dose of 100 mg/year of age up to a maximum of 1.5 g/day. There were no initial differences between the 17 control and the 18 test subjects in relation to mean age, sex distribution, or severity at onset. Mean insulin dosages and HbA1 values were similar for the two groups during the year of study. Fasting and glucagon-stimulated C-peptide levels were similar for the control and nicotinamide treated groups at the beginning and after 4 and 12 months. There were no differences in remission rates between the two groups. Nicotinamide, at this dosage, does not preserve residual insulin secretion in subjects with newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Yamada K, Nonaka K, Hanafusa T, Miyazaki A, Toyoshima H, Tarui S (1982) Preventive and therapeutic effects of large-dose nicotinamide injections on diabetes associated with insulitis. Diabetes 31: 749–753
Uchigata Y, Yamamoto H, Nagai H, Okamoto H (1983) Effect of poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase inhibitor administration to rats before and after injection of alloxan and streptozocin on islet proinsulin synthesis. Diabetes 32: 316–318
Nomikos IN, Prowse SJ, Carotenuto P, Lafferty KJ (1986) Combined treatment with nicotinamide and desferrioxamine prevents islet cell allograft destruction in NOD mice. Diabetes 35: 1302–1304
Okamoto H (1985) Molecular basis of experimental diabetes: degeneration, oncogenesis and regeneration of pancreatic B-cells of Islets of Langerhans. Bio Essays 2: 15–21
Wilson GL, Patton NJ, McCord JM, Mullins DW, Mossman BT (1984) Mechanisms of streptozotocin- and alloxan-induced damage in rat B cells. Diabetologia 27: 587–591
1985 World Health Organization Criteria for Diabetes Mellitus Status (1985) Geneva, WHO Tech. Rep. Ser no. 727
Hamman RF, Cook M, Keefer S, Young WF, Finch JL, Lezotte D, McLaren B, Orleans M, Klingensmith G, Chase HP (1985) Medical care patterns at the onset of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: association with severity and subsequent complications. Diabetes Care 8 [Suppl1]: 94–100
Chase HP (1985) Avoiding the short- and long-term complications of juvenile diabetes. Pediatr Rev 7: 140–149
Gleichmann H, Bottazzo GF (1987) Progress toward standardization of cytoplasmic islet cell-antibody assay. Diabetes 36: 578–584
SAS User's Guide (1985) Statistics version, 5th edn. Cary NC, SAS Institute Inc.
Vague P, Vialettes B, Lassman-Vague V, Vallo JJ (1987) Nicotinamide may extend remission phase in insulin-dependent diabetes. Lancet I: 619–620
Vague P, Picq R, Bernal M, Lassman-Vague V, Vialettes B (1989) Effect of nicotinamide treatment on the residual insulin secretion in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients. Diabetologia 32: 316–321
Mendola G, Casamitjana R, Gomis R (1989) Effect of nicotinamide therapy upon B-cell function in newly diagnosed Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients. Diabetologia 32: 160–162
Pozzilli P, Visalli N, Ghirlanda G, Manna R, Andreani D (1989) Nicotinamide increases C-peptide secretion in patients with recent onset Type 1 diabetes. Diab Med 6: 568–571
The DCCT Research Group (1987) Effects of age, duration and treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus on residual beta-cell function: observations during eligibility testing for the diabetes control and complications trial (DCCT). J Clin Endocrinol Metab 65: 30–36
Elliott RB, Chase HP, Pilcher CC, Edgar BW (1988) Effect of nicotinamide in preventing diabetes (IDDM) in children. The immunology of diabetes, IXTH International Workshop, Melbourne, Australia, p 18 (Abstract)
Shah SC, Malone JI, Simpson ME (1989) A randomized trial of intensive insulin therapy in newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med 320: 550–554
Hoffer A (1969) Safety, side effects and relative lack of toxicity of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide. Schizophrenia 1: 78–87
Yamagami T, Miwa A, Takasawa S, Yamamoto H, Okamoto H (1985) Induction of rat pancreatic B-cell tumors by the combined administration of streptozocin or alloxan and poly (adenosine diposphate ribose) synthetase inhibitors. Cancer Res 45: 1845–1849
LeDoux SP, Hall CR, Forbes PM, Patton NJ, Wilson GL (1988) Mechanisms of nicotinamide and thymidine protection from alloxan and streptozocin toxicity. Diabetes 37: 1015–1019
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chase, H.P., Butler-Simon, N., Garg, S. et al. A trial of nicotinamide in newly diagnosed patients with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Diabetologia 33, 444–446 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404097
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404097