Pancreatic beta-cell function relates positively to HDL functionality in well-controlled Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: High density lipoproteins (HDLs) have been implicated in glucose homeostasis. Among subjects with normal fasting glucose (NFG), impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) we tested whether pancreatic beta-cell function relates to HDL functionality, as determined by HDL anti-oxidative capacity and cellular cholesterol efflux to plasma.

Subjects and methods: HDL anti-oxidative capacity (inhibition of LDL oxidation in vitro), cellular cholesterol efflux (the ability of plasma to stimulate cholesterol efflux out of cultured fibroblasts obtained from a single human donor), glucose and insulin were determined in fasting plasma samples from 37 subjects with NFG, 36 with IFG and 22 with T2DM (no glucose lowering drug or insulin treatment; HbA1c 6.0 +/- 1.0%). Homeostasis model assessment was used to estimate pancreatic beta-cell function (HOMA-beta) and insulin resistance (HOMAir).

Results: HOMA-beta was lowest, whereas HOMAir was highest in T2DM (P

Conclusions: Pancreatic beta-cell function relates to pathophysiologically relevant measures of HDL function in T2DM, but not in NFG and IFG. Better HDL functionality may contribute to maintenance of beta-cell function in subjects with well-controlled T2DM. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.