Claims for Patent: 5,468,755

Summary for Patent: 5,468,755

Title:	Therapeutic process for the treatment of the pathologies of Type II diabetes
Abstract:	A process for the long term modification and regulation of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism--generally to reduce obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperinsulinemia or hyperglycemia, or both (these are the hallmarks of noninsulin dependent, or Type II diabetes)--by administration (i.e., by oral, sublingual or parenternal administration) to a vertebrate, animal or human, of a dopamine agonist, e.g., bromocriptine. Administration of the bromocriptine is made over a limited period at a time of day dependent on the normal circadian rhythm of insulin resistant and insulin sensitive members of a similar species. Insulin resistance, and hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia, or both, can be controlled in humans on a long term basis by such treatment inasmuch as the short term daily administration resets hormonal timing in the neural centers of the brain to produce long term effects.
Inventor(s):	Cincotta; Anthony H. (Andover, MA), Meier; Albert H. (Baton Rouge, LA)
Assignee:	The Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural (Baton Rouge, LA)
Application Number:	08/158,153
Patent Claims:	1. A method for modifying or regulating glucose metabolism in an animal or human subject in need of such treatment comprising administering to said subject a prolactin-inhibiting compound on a timed daily basis in a dosage amount and for a period sufficient to achieve in said subject at least one of the following modifications: decrease in insulin resistance, reduction of hyperinsulinemia, increase in glucose tolerance, and reduction of hyperglycemia. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the prolactin-inhibiting compound is a dopamine agonist. 3. The method of claim 2 wherein at least one of said modifications persists for at least one month after cessation of administration of said dopamine agonist. 4. The method of claim 2 wherein the dopamine agonist is administered once a day, and said dosage amount is within the range from about 3 micrograms to about 100 micrograms per pound of body weight of said subject. 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the dopamine agonist is administered for a period of time within the range of from about 10 to about 150 days. 6. The method of claim 2 wherein said subject is a human and the dopamine agonist is administered once a day, and said dosage amount is within the range from about 3 micrograms to about 100 micrograms per pound body weight of said subject. 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the dopamine agonist is administered for a period of time within the range from about 30 days to about 150 days. 8. The method of claim 6 wherein said human subject exhibits at least one of insulin resistance and Type II diabetes and the dopamine agonist is administered once a day, at a time from 1 hour to about 10 hours after the time at which the prolactin bloodstream level peaks in a lean, insulin sensitive human. 9. The method of claim 2 wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of 6-methyl-8-beta-carbobenzyloxy-aminoethyl-10 alpha-ergoline; 1,6-dimethyl-8-beta-carbobenzyloxy-aminoethyl-10 alpha-ergoline; 8-acylaminoergolenes; ergocornine; 9,10-dihydroergocornine; bromocriptine, and D-2-halo-6-alkyl-8-substituted ergolines. 10. The method of any one of claims 1-9 wherein the compound is bromocriptine. 11. A method for modifying or resetting the prolactin rhythm of an insulin insensitive or diabetic animal or human subject which comprises administering to said subject a prolactin-inhibiting compound once a day, at a predetermined time within a 24-hour period, in an amount sufficient, and for a period of time sufficient to accomplish at least one of the following: decrease insulin resistance, decrease hyperglycemia, decrease hyperinsulinemia in said subject, and increase glucose tolerance. 12. A method for modifying or resetting the prolactin rhythm of an insulin insensitive or diabetic animal or human subject comprising administering to said subject a prolactin-inhibiting compound on a timed daily basis at a time of day designed to cause the daytime prolactin bloodstream level of said subject to decrease at a time corresponding to the low daytime prolactin level of a lean, insulin sensitive subject, in a dosage amount sufficient and for a period of time sufficient to achieve in said subject at least one of the following modifications in glucose metabolism: decrease in insulin resistance, reduction of hyperinsulinemia, improvement in glucose tolerance and reduction of hyperglycemia. 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the prolactin-inhibiting compound is a dopamine agonist. 14. The method of claim 12 wherein said dosage amount is within the range of about 3 to about 100 micrograms per pound of body weight of said subject. 15. The method of claim 14 wherein on cessation of administration of the compound the prolactin rhythm of the treated subject will correspond substantially, on a long-term basis, with that of a lean, insulin-sensitive subject. 16. The method of claim 13 wherein said period of administration of the dopamine agonist is about 30 days to about 150 days. 17. The method of claim 13 wherein the dopamine agonist is selected from the group consisting of 6-methyl-8-beta-carbobenzyloxy-aminoethyl-10 alpha-ergoline; 1,6-dimethyl-8-beta-carbobenzyloxy-aminoethyl-10 alpha-ergoline; 8-acylaminoergolenes; ergocornine; 9,10-dihydroergocornine; bromocriptine, and D-2-halo-6-alkyl-8-substituted ergolines. 18. The method of any one of claims 11-17 wherein said compound is bromocriptine. 19. A method for modifying or regulating the glucose metabolism of a human subject exhibiting at least one of the pathologies characteristically associated with Type II diabetes comprising administering a prolactin-inhibiting compound on a timed daily basis from about 1 hour to about 10 hours after the time at which the prolactin bloodstream level peaks in a member of the same species and sex as said subject, wherein said member is not exhibiting any of said pathologies associated with Type II diabetes, in a dosage amount within the range from about 3 micrograms to about 100 micrograms per pound body weight of said subject, and for a period of time sufficient to achieve in said subject at least one of the following modifications in glucose metabolism: decrease in insulin resistance, reduction of hyperinsulinemia, reduction of hyperglycemia. 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the prolactin-inhibiting compound is a dopamine agonist. 21. The method of claim 20 wherein at least one modification persists over the long term after cessation of administration of the dopamine agonist. 22. The method of claim 20 wherein the period of administration of said dopamine agonist is sufficient to modify and reset the neural phase oscillations controlling at least one of the prolactin and glucocorticosteroid bloodstream levels of said subject. 23. The method of claim 20 wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of 6-methyl-8-beta-carbobenzyloxy-aminoethyl-10 alpha-ergoline; 1,6-dimethyl-8-beta-carbobenzyloxy-aminoethyl-10 alpha-ergoline; 8-acylaminoergolenes; ergocornine; 9,10-dihydroergocornine; bromocriptine, and D-2-halo-6-alkyl-8-substituted ergolines. 24. The method of any one of claims 19-23 wherein said compound is bromocriptine. 25. A method for modifying and resetting the neural phase oscillations of the brain which control bloodstream prolactin levels of a human subject, said subject being diagnosed as being at least one of insulin insensitive and diabetic, said method comprising administering to said subject a prolactin-inhibiting compound once a day, at an hour, in an amount, and for a period of time sufficient to decrease insulin insensitivity and decrease hyperglycemia in said subject. 26. The method of claim 25 wherein the prolactin-inhibiting compound is a dopamine agonist. 27. The method of claim 26 wherein the period of time of administration of said dopamine agonist is also sufficient to modify and reset the neural phase oscillations that control the glucocorticosteroid bloodstream levels of said subject. 28. The method of claim 26 wherein the dopamine agonist is selected from the group consisting of 6-methyl-8-beta-carbobenzyloxy-aminoethyl-10 alpha-ergoline; 1,6-dimethyl-8-beta-carbobenzyloxy-aminoethyl-10 alpha-ergoline; 8-acylaminoergolenes; ergocornine; 9,10-dihydroergocornine; bromocriptine, and D-2-halo-6-alkyl-8-substituted ergolines. 29. The method of any one of claims 25-28 wherein the compound is bromocriptine. 30. A method for modifying and regulating lipid metabolism in an animal or human subject in need of such treatment comprising administering to said subject a prolactin-inhibiting compound on a timed basis in a dosage amount and for a period of time sufficient to achieve in said subject either a decrease in body fat stores or an increase in body fat stores. 31. The method of claim 30 wherein said subject is a human. 32. The method of claim 31 wherein the prolactin-inhibiting compound is a dopamine agonist. 33. The method of claim 32 wherein at least on of said decrease or increase continues for at least one month after cessation of administration of said dopamine agonist. 34. The method of claim 32 wherein the period of administration of said dopamine agonist is sufficient to modify and reset the neural phase oscillations controlling at least one of the prolactin and glucocorticosteroid bloodstream levels of said subject. 35. The method of claim 32 wherein the dopamine agonist is administered once a day, and said dosage amount is within the range from about 3 micrograms to about 100 micrograms per pound of body weight of said subject. 36. The method of claim 30 wherein the prolactin-inhibiting compound is administered once a day for a period of time within the range from about 30 days to about 150 days. 37. The method of claim 32 wherein said human subject suffers from obesity and the dopamine agonist is administered once a day, from 1 hour to about 10 hours after the time at which the prolactin bloodstream level peaks in a lean, insulin sensitive human of the same sex as said human subject, thereby decreasing body fat stores in said human subject. 38. The method of claim 32 wherein said compound is selected from the group consisting of 6-methyl-8-beta-carbobenzyloxy-aminoethyl-10 alpha-ergoline; 1,6-dimethyl-8-beta-carbobenzyloxy-aminoethyl-10 alpha-ergoline; 8-acylaminoergolenes; ergocornine; 9,10-dihydroergocornine; bromocriptine, and D-2-halo-6-alkyl-8-substituted ergolines. 39. The method of any one of claims 30-38 wherein said compound is bromocriptine.