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Glucagon Resistance in Patients With MASLD and T2DM

Mechanisms for Glucagon Resistance as Driver of Metabolic Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Cardiovascular Disease in Humans With Type 2 Diabetes

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07246421
Enrollment
24
Registered
2025-11-24
Start date
2026-01-29
Completion date
2028-07-31
Last updated
2026-02-04

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM)

Keywords

MASLD, Glucagon, Glucagon Resistance

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the sensitivity to glucagon in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), with and without metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MASLD). The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Is the sensitivity to glucagon with respect to hepatic FA oxidation and suppression of VLDL-TG secretion impaired in humans with T2DM and MASLD? 2. Is glucagon resistance and MASLD reflected in an aberrated lipidomic/metabolomic profile in blood and adipose tissue? Researchers will compare patients with T2DM with and without MASLD to see if the response to basal and high levels of glucagon differs between the groups. Participants will attend 2 short visits and 1 full-day visit, including: * Body scan (DXA) to check fat and bone composition * MRI to measure liver fat. * Blood tests. * Ultrasound to check liver stiffness and scarring. * Fat biopsies * 8-hour hormone (including glucagon) and tracer infusion * PET-CT scans

Interventions

OTHERGlugagon

Infusion of low dose glucagon and high dose glucagon during simultaneous somatostatin infusion and replacement doses of insulin and growth hormone. Infusion of palmitate, VLDL-triglyceride and glucose tracers. \[11C\]palmitate PET during low and high dose glucagon.

Sponsors

University of Aarhus
Lead SponsorOTHER
Novo Nordisk A/S
CollaboratorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
30 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* BMI \> 26 kg/m² * confirmed diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) min. 6 months prior enrollment * steatosis FF% \> 5,6% on MR spectroscopy for MAFLD group

Exclusion criteria

* Alcohol abuse (\>10 units per week for both sexes) or other substance abuse * Smoking * Current or previous malignant disease * Blood donation within the last 3 months prior to the study day * Participation in studies involving radioactive isotopes within the past 3 months * Pregnancy * Severely dysregulated type 2 diabetes mellitus (haemoglobin A1c ≥ 100 mmol/mol) * C-peptide \< 200 pmol/L * Previous acute myocardial infarction (AMI) * Clinical symptoms of heart failure * Current or previous malignant disease * Known ongoing systemic disease, except for dyslipidaemia and hypertension * Regular use of medication that may affect lipid and glucose metabolism, including insulin treatment, regular use of over-the-counter medications, and hormonal contraception. Exceptions: 1. Participants treated with statins may be included following a 2-week washout period prior to the experimental study day. 2. Participants receiving oral glucose-lowering therapy for T2DM and antihypertensive medication may be included provided that medication is withheld on the study day only. 3. Participants receiving weekly injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 analogues) may be included following a 1-week washout period prior to the study day.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Hepatic FFA oxidation rate (µmol/100Ml/min)30 minutes at steady-stateMeasured using \[11C\]palmitate positron-emission tomography (PET)
Blood and adipose tissue proteomic and lipidomic profiles30 minutes after steady-stateMass spectrometry-based lipidomic/proteomic profiles of paired adipose and plasma samples.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Endogen glucose production (mmol/kg/min)30 minutes at steady-state3-3H glucose tracer technique
Fatty acid turnover (µmol/min)30 minutesat steady-stateInfusion af \[9,10-3H\] palmitate and measurement of specific activity
VLDL-triglyceride kinetics (appearance rate (µmol/min) and oxidation (µmol/min))30 minutes at steady-stateEx vivo labeled VLDL \[14C\]-triolein tracer technique. Oxidation is measured by specific activity in exhaled air.

Countries

Denmark

Contacts

CONTACTKia E. Fonfara, Medical Doctor
kia.eistrup@clin.au.dk+4524607114

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026