Comparison of jet injector and insulin pen in controlling plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in type 2 diabetic patients

Abstract

This study is conducted to investigate efficacy of an insulin jet injector and an insulin pen in treatment of type 2 diabetic patients. Sixty patients with type 2 diabetes were treated with rapid-acting insulin (regular insulin) and insulin analog (insulin aspart) using the jet injector and the pen in 4 successive test cycles. Postprandial glucose and insulin concentrations in blood were measured over time. Areas under curves of glucose and the insulin were calculated, and efficacy of 2 injection methods in treatment of the diabetes was compared. Regular insulin and insulin aspart administration by the jet injector showed significant decreases in plasma glucose levels as compared to the pen injection (P < 0.05). Postprandial plasma glucose excursions at the time points of 0.5 to 3 hours were obviously lower in the jet-treated patients than the pen-treated ones (P < 0.05). Postprandial plasma insulin levels were markedly higher in the jet-treated patients than the pen-treated ones (P < 0.05). Area under the glucose curve in the pen-treated patients was significantly increased as compared to the jet-treated ones (P < 0.01). Efficacy of the insulin jet injector in treatment of type 2 diabetic patients is obviously superior to the insulin pen in regulating plasma glucose and insulin levels.

Figure 1

Schematic representation of study research designs. All patients were treated with insulin and aspart by using insulin jet injectors (cycles 1 and 3) or insulin pens (cycles 2 and 4), respectively. Postprandial blood glucose and insulin concentrations were measured on the test day of each cycle.

Figure 2

Changes in postprandial plasma glucose concentrations in the patients received regular insulin (A) or insulin aspart (B) administration by using jet injectors or the insulin pens. The results were expressed as a sample median of an interquartile range (quartiles 1 and 3). ^∗P < 0.05 versus insulin pen (n = 60).

Figure 3

Glucose excursions were examined during a time period of 0.5 to 3.0 hours after the patients received regular insulin (A) or insulin aspart (B) administration by using the jet injectors or the insulin pens. The results were expressed as a sample median of an interquartile range (quartiles 1 and 3). ^∗P < 0.05 versus insulin pen (n = 60).

Figure 4

Postprandial insulin concentrations after administration of regular insulin (A) or insulin aspart (B) were examined in the jet- or the pen-treated patients. The results were expressed as a sample median of an interquartile range (quartiles 1 and 3). ^∗P < 0.05 versus insulin pen (n = 60).