Prospects of using pancragen for correction of metabolic disorders in elderly people.

We examined two groups of older persons: 30 healthy and 33 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitius. Nocturnal melatonin production was significantly reduced by 70% in patients with DM2 compared to healthy individuals of the corresponding age. In patients with DM2, pancragen significantly decreased glucose level on an empty stomach and in standard glucose tolerance test and reduced plasma concentrations of insulin and insulin resistance index. In patients receiving no pancragen, no changes in carbohydrate metabolism indices were observed. Thus, disturbances in the melatonin-producing function of the pineal gland in elderly individuals contribute to the development of insulin resistance. Administration of the tetrapeptide pancragen is a promising approach to the correction of insulin resistance in elderly individuals.