Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Research Scholarships - Master's program

People with type 1 diabetes need insulin to control their blood sugar, but this can sometimes cause their blood sugar to drop too low, a dangerous condition called hypoglycemia. Severe hypoglycemia can lead to confusion, fainting, or other medical emergencies. In healthy individuals, the hormone glucagon prevents this by instructing the body to raise blood sugar levels when they become too low. However, in type 1 diabetes, the release of glucagon does not function properly, partly because of increased levels of another hormone called somatostatin, which blocks glucagon release. This study will investigate whether adding whey protein can strengthen the effect of a drug that blocks somatostatin’s action (a somatostatin receptor 2 antagonist). The drug helps restore the body’s ability to release glucagon during low blood sugar, and whey protein is known to naturally increase glucagon levels. Although each approach can raise glucagon on its own, it is not known whether combining whey protein with the drug can produce a stronger and more effective response during hypoglycemia. Using a rat model of type 1 diabetes, the study will compare three groups: a control group, a group receiving the drug alone, and a group receiving both the drug and whey protein. We will measure how glucagon and blood sugar levels change after treatment during normal feeding and during insulin-induced hypoglycemia. We will also compare males and females to see whether biological sex affects how well the treatments work. This research may help identify a new combination approach to prevent dangerous drops in blood sugar and improve safety of insulin therapy for people living with type 1 diabetes.