ERYTHROCYTES AS ORAL DELIVERY SYSTEMS FOR HUMAN INSULIN

The use of different forms of human red blood cells as ol al carrier s ystems for human insulin in vivo was the subject of this investigation . Male Wistar rats were made diabetic by a single intraperitoneal inje ction of streptozocin (100 mg/kg). Three days after the injection, rat s were found diabetic as evidenced by elevated fasted blood glucose co ncentration (200 mg/dl or higher). Rats received orally one of the fol lowing (100 U, 2 mi): an insulin solution, a ghosts-insulin suspension , a vesicles-insulin suspension, a liposomes-ghosts-insulin suspension , or a liposomes-vesicles-insulin suspension. Free carrier suspensions or sodium chloride solution (0.9%) were also given orally as controls . Blood glucose concentration was determined just before administratio n and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 hr post administration. The results s how that all treatment groups, except liposomes-ghosts-insulin, were s ignificantly different statistically from their respective controls (i .e., the free carriers).