Mixed meal modeling and disturbance rejection in type I diabetic patients

A mixed meal model was developed to capture the gut absorption of glucose, protein, and free fatty acid (FFA) from a mixed meal into the circulatory system. The output of the meal model served as a disturbance to the extended minimal model, which successfully captured plasma FFA, glucose and insulin concentration dynamics and interactions. A model predictive controller (MPC) was synthesized to reject meal disturbances and maintain normoglycemia. The dynamic fit of blood glucose after mixed meal consumption was consistent with the published data. The results from the closed-loop simulations were also promising; the MFC was able to maintain the glucose concentration within the normoglycemic range during and after consumption of a mixed meal.

Ammonium excretion in chronic metabolic acidosis: benefits and risks

The expected renal response to a chronic acid load is an enhanced rate of ammonium production and excretion. Notwithstanding, high rates of ammonium production and/or excretion on a chronic basis may have detrimental consequences to patients. Examples discussed include the loss of extra lean body mass during chronic fasting, an accelerated rate of progression of renal insufficiency and possibly destruction of the medullary area of the kidney owing to local alkalinization.

Impact of methionine on net ketoacid production in humans

An exogenous acid load (NH4Cl) inhibits net ketoacid production in the first week of starvation and the fourth to eighth weeks of ketogenic dieting. To determine whether an acid load produced by amino acid metabolism can similarly modify ketosis, five overweight volunteers ingested methionine (H2SO4), NH4Cl, and NaCl (control), in varying order, each day for seven days during weeks 5 to 8 of hypocaloric ketogenic dieting. During days 5 to 7 of each phase, blood pH, bicarbonate, and pCO2 were stable but lower in the NH4Cl phase (7.32 +/- 0.02, 18.1 +/- 1.2 mmol/L, 35.8 +/- 1.4 mmHg) and the methionine phase (7.33 +/- 0.01, 17.1 +/- 0.9 mmol/L, 34.0 +/- 2.0 mmHg) than in the NaCl phase (7.38 +/- 0.01, 22.3 +/- 0.2 mmol/L, 37.6 +/- 1.6 mmHg), P less than .05. Over this period, blood acetoacetate concentration was lower during the methionine and NH4Cl phases than during NaCl, P less than .05. In addition blood beta-hydroxybutyrate and total ketone-body concentrations were lower in the methionine than NaCl phases, P less than .05. Urinary acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate excretion fell with both acid loads, P less than .05. Compared with control values, urinary total ketone excretion was suppressed by 67 +/- 10% in the NH4Cl and 89 +/- 3% in the methionine periods. When NaCl was ingested after either of the acid loads, urinary ketone excretion increased by 300% to 700%. Thus, methionine ingestion, which results in an acid challenge equivalent to that of a large protein load, has an impact on net ketoacid production similar to that of NH4Cl.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Lactic acidosis--emphasis on the carbon precursors and buffering of the acid load

We have compared the capacity of major organs to produce lactic acid from endogenous sources relative to their ability to buffer that proton load. We deduced that the ultimate source for the rapid production of a very large amount of lactic acid must be hepatic and/or muscle glycogen or exogenous glucose, because the quantity of endogenous glucose is quite small and the rate of net protein catabolism is too slow. Of the organs examined, only the liver of fed persons can produce sufficient lactic acid to markedly overwhelm its own buffer capacity plus that of the ECF and other tissues. Moreover, it is important to realize that a fasted (low hepatic glycogen) subject who lacks the stimulus for muscle glycogenolysis can only develop a modest degree of acute lactic acidosis owing to a limited precursor availability; under these circumstances, hypoglycemia and/or localized tissue necrosis could be the major threats to that patient. We present two examples with more chronic lactic acidosis without hypoxia emphasizing that tissue catabolism may be necessary to support high rates of lactic acid production, and we suggest that a high plasma lactate concentration need not be present to observe a large turnover of this metabolite.

Metabolic acidosis in the alcoholic: a pathophysiologic approach

The purpose of this paper is to review the acid-base abnormalities in patients presenting with metabolic acidosis due to acute ethanol ingestion and to review the theoretical constraints on ethanol metabolism in the liver. Alcohol-induced acidosis is a mixed acid-base disturbance. Metabolic acidosis is due to lactic acidosis, ketoacidosis and acetic acidosis but the degree of each varies from patient to patient. Metabolic alkalosis is frequently present due to ethanol-induced vomiting. However, it could be overlooked because of an indirect loss of sodium bicarbonate (as sodium B-hydroxybutyrate in the urine). Nevertheless, the accompanying reduction in ECF volume may play an important role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic acidosis because it could lead to a relative insulin deficiency. Treatment of alcohol acidosis should include sodium, chloride, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and thiamine replacements along with attention to concomitant clinical problems. Unless hypoglycemia is present, glucose need not be given immediately. We feel that insulin should be withheld unless life-threatening acidemia is present or expected. Lastly, alcohol need not be detected on admission to make the diagnosis of this metabolic disturbance. However, when present, it could contribute directly to the lactic, acetic and B-hydroxybutyric acidoses. With respect to the theoretical constraints on ethanol metabolism, it appears that "overproduction" of NADH in the liver is best averted by converting ethanol to B-hydroxybutyric acid.