Aims/hypothesis: The aim of this study was to investigate pancreatic perfusion and its response to a glucose load in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus compared with non-diabetic ('healthy') individuals.
Methods: Eight individuals with longstanding type 1 diabetes and ten sex-, age- and BMI-matched healthy controls underwent dynamic positron emission tomography scanning with (15)O-labelled water before and after intravenous administration of glucose. Perfusion in the pancreas was measured. Portal and arterial hepatic perfusion were recorded as references.
Results: Under fasting conditions, total pancreatic perfusion was on average 23% lower in the individuals with diabetes compared with healthy individuals. Glucose increased total pancreatic and portal hepatic blood perfusion in healthy individuals by 48% and 38%, respectively. In individuals with diabetes there was no significant increase in either total pancreatic or portal hepatic perfusion.
Conclusions/interpretation: Individuals with type 1 diabetes have reduced basal pancreatic perfusion and a severely impaired pancreatic and splanchnic perfusion response to intravenous glucose stimulation.
Keywords: Blood flow; Glucose; Pancreas; Pancreatic islets; Perfusion; Type 1 diabetes.