Research Summary
Diabetes mellitus has a profound impact on hepatic and peripheral glucose metabolic fluxes. My studies on the biochemical mechanisms responsible for the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus primarily employ nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, and stable isotopic techniques. Using these techniques, the flux and fate of key intermediates of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism can be determined in vitro and in vivo. These techniques are developed in cell systems and small animal models and when appropriate applied to studies of human physiology. New areas of research are the application and adaptation of these techniques to the study of pancreatic beta-cell metabolism and glucose-stimulated insulin release. In addition, we are developing PET imaging to evaluate whether loss of pancreatic beta-cell mass contributes to insufficient insulin secretion with T2DM.