SOLID ORAL DIAGNOSTIC TEST MEAL AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF

Abstract: A solid oral diagnostic test meal is provided that contains a carbohydrate source that provides a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate when the meal is ingested by a vertebrate subject. In addition, methods and kits are provided for using the diagnostic test meal to monitor postprandial glucose and insulin levels, to diagnose disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, to manage subjects being treated with antidiabetic agents and to self-diagnose diabetes and self-manage diet and antidiabetic drug dosage.

Description: SOLID ORAL DIAGNOSTIC TEST MEAL AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF Technical Field The present invention relates generally to products for use in metabolic diagnostic tests. In particular, the invention relates to a solid oral diagnostic test meal useful for assessing the metabolic status of a vertebrate subject and methods of using the same. Background Disorders of carbohydrate metabolism traditionally include diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance. More recently, insulin resistance has been recognized as a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism that leads to raised plasma insulin concentrations. Raised plasma insulin has been suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetes, hypertension, raised serum triglycerides, reduced serum HDL cholesterol and atherosclerosis. Diabetes is a well-recognized cause of significant morbidity and mortality. With a prevalence in North America which will approach 10% in the next decade, non-insulin dependent diabetes ("NIDDM") is a major public health concern. NIDDM is the most common diagnosis of patients entering dialysis programs in the United States, a major cause of vision loss and a major contributing factor in cardiac, peripheral and cerebral vascular diseases. Although there is no direct evidence in NIDDM, the success of the Diabetes -1- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) Control and Complications trial in showing that improving glucose control markedly reduced the development of diabetes complications in insulin- dependent diabetic patients, suggests that early diagnosis and treatment of NIDDM to reduce hyperglycemia may reduce complications. Glucose tolerance in a patient is determined by orally administering a standard amount of glucose and monitoring the responsive blood glucose levels over time. For example, when a normal fasting person ingests 50 grams of glucose, his blood glucose level rises from a fasting level of approximately 90 mg/dL to approximately 140 mg/dL and falls back to the fasting level within about three hours. A diabetic person typically has a fasting blood glucose level above 120 mg/dL. On ingesting 50 grams of glucose, a diabetic exhibits a rise in blood glucose levels for about two to three hours and the blood glucose level falls back to the diabetic fasting level after about five to six hours or more. It has been reported that the postprandial blood glucose response in subjects with normal or abnormal carbohydrate metabolism can be blunted by consumption of a high-carbohydrate, high- fiber bar (Mclvor et al. (1985) Diabetes Care 8 . :274- 278) . A patient with impaired glucose tolerance ("IGT") displays an abnormal glucose tolerance in which the blood glucose levels are not high enough to be associated with the specific complications of diabetes. However, despite the fact that IGT is a major risk factor for the development of NIDDM, peripheral vascular disease and cardiovascular disease, widespread screening for IGT and asymptomatic NIDDM has not been routinely conducted. Furthermore, screening for hyperinsulinemia and postprandial blood insulin levels is currently only done for research -2- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) purposes. Screening may become more common if easier and less expensive methods become available. The internationally accepted method of diagnosing diabetes, IGT, NIDDM and hyperinsulinemia is to administer a 75-gram oral glucose tolerance test ("OGTT") . The main reason for the use of this test is that a postprandial blood glucose value is needed to make an accurate diagnosis; the use of fasting glucose alone lacks adequate specificity and sensitivity (Modan et al. (1994) Diabetes Care 17:436-439) . Glucose is used because it is easy to standardize the amount administered, it is easily stored and its absorption is not influenced by other food factors such as protein or fat, cooking and processing. However, the OGTT haε drawbacks and is not commonly done as a clinical test. Thus, diabetes, IGT and hyperinsulinemia are not generally diagnosed early. One of the drawbacks of the OGTT is the difficulty of the test, which requires a 12- to 16- hour fast and a timed blood sample. In addition, glucose is generally unpalatable and 75 grams is a large dose that may lead to nausea and other gastrointestinal side-effects. Moreover, the results of the test are highly variable often leading to false positives and false negatives. The diagnosis of diabetes is established if fasting venous plasma glucose at least 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) or plasma glucose is at least 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) two hours after the ingestion of an oral 75- gram glucose load (National Diabetes Group (1979) Diabetes 8 . : 1039-1057) ; WHO Expert Committee (1980) Diabetes Mellitus , Geneva, World Health Organization (Tech. Rep. Ser. no. 646)), as is customarily performed in an OGTT. These values differ slightly if venous whole blood or capillary whole blood samples are used. In 334 subjects who took repeated 100-gram OGTTs, the median 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose -3- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) concentration and within-subject standard deviation ("SD") thereof were 84.0 mg/dL and 12.2 mg/dL, respectively (McDonald et al. (1965) Diabetes 14:473- 480) . The coefficient of variation (SD/mean x 100) of these data was about 14.5%. These data indicate the high variability of the results obtained from an OGTT. Because of this variability it is difficult to interpret the results of an OGTT. In addition, glucose is a non-physiological test meal and stimulates a relatively weak postprandial insulin response compared to the oral glucose-stimulated postprandial blood glucose response. Although the blood glucose response of starchy foods is less than that of glucose, the insulin response to starchy foods is greater, possibly because of the presence of fat and protein (Bornet et al. (1987) Am . J . Clin . Nutr . 45 . : 588-595; Chew et al. (1988) 12:53-56; Indar-Brown et al (1992) Am . J . Clin . Nutr . 5_5:89-95) . Accordingly, postprandial insulin responses are not routinely measured and cannot be accurately screened using an oral administration of liquid glucose. It is clear that near-normal glycemic control can prevent diabetic complications. However, early interest in mass screening for diabetes to facilitate early diagnosis and prevent debilitating or fatal complications was tempered by the undesirable economic, social, physical and psychological consequences of diagnosing diabetes. The current absence of a successfully implemented diabetes mass screening program is the result of the lack of resolution of these concerns (Harris et al. (1994) DiaJbetes Care . 12:440-445; Knowler (1994) Diabetes Care 12:445-450) . Current interest in diabetes screening programs have fostered studies on, for example, random capillary blood glucose measurements (Engelgau et al. (1995) Diabetes Care JL8:463-466) and questionnaires to evaluate the prevalence of diabetes risk factors and thereby prospectively identify subjects at increased risk for undiagnosed diabetes (Herman et al. (1995) Diabetes Care JL8 . :382-387) . These tests have proven to be variable, empirical and qualitative. Selecting those subjects from the general population who present risk factors merely identifies candidates for more precise and quantitative tests. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a standardized, physiologically balanced diagnostic test meal that can be used as a diagnostic tool as well as a tool to assist in the management of disorders of carbohydrate metabolism. Summary Central to the present invention is the discovery that the novel solid diagnostic test meal disclosed herein produces a more precise measurement of postprandial glucose and insulin responses compared to liquid glucose beverages and liquid meals. Accordingly, the present invention provides a solid oral diagnostic test meal for use in the diagnosis and management of disorders of carbohydrate metabolism. In one embodiment the invention is directed to a solid oral carbohydrate diagnostic meal comprising a carbohydrate source providing a standardized quantity of available carbohydrate when the meal is ingested by a vertebrate subject. In another embodiment, the invention is directed to a method of determining a postprandial glucose response that involves providing a solid oral carbohydrate diagnostic meal, orally administering the solid oral carbohydrate diagnostic meal to a vertebrate subject and assaying postprandial glucose in a biological sample. -5- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) In yet another embodiment, the invention is directed to a method of diagnosing disorders of carbohydrate metabolism that involves providing a solid oral carbohydrate diagnostic meal, orally administering the diagnostic meal to a vertebrate subject, assaying postprandial glucose concentration in a biological sample and comparing the postprandial glucose concentration in the biological sample with a reference glucose concentration. In a further embodiment, the invention is directed to a method of managing the dosage of drugs that are used to decrease postprandial blood glucose. The method involves providing a solid oral carbohydrate diagnostic test meal, orally administering the test meal to a vertebrate subject, assaying postprandial glucose concentration in a biological sample, and repeating the oral administration of the test meal and the assay of glucose concentration in the biological sample after administration of the drug. In still another embodiment, the invention is directed to methods of self-diagnosis and self- monitoring. The methods involve providing a solid oral carbohydrate diagnostic test meal, ingesting the test meal and assaying postprandial glucose concentration in a biological sample. In still other embodiments, kits are provided for diagnosing disorders of carbohydrate metabolism in a vertebrate subject, for managing the dosage of a drug that decreases postprandial glucose concentration in a biological sample from a vertebrate subject, for determining postprandial glucose concentration in a biological sample from a vertebrate subject, for determining a postprandial insulin response in a vertebrate subject and for diabetes self-diagnosis and self-monitoring in a vertebrate subject, wherein the kits comprise a solid oral -6- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) diagnostic test meal comprising a carbohydrate source that provides a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate when the meal is ingested by the vertebrate subject. Brief Description of the Figures FIG. 1 is a graphical illustration of the postprandial blood glucose response in subjects after administration of acarbose (open symbols) or a placebo (closed symbols) and consumption of Ensure® as described in Example 6. The data points represent the mean blood glucose level in mmoles/L (mm/L) , plus or minus the standard error of the mean, for six determinations at each time point. FIG. 2 is a graphical illustration of the postprandial blood glucose response in subjects after administration of acarbose (open symbols) or a placebo (closed symbols) consumption of a solid test meal as described in Example 6. The data points represent the mean blood glucose level in mmoles/L (mm/L) , plus or minus the standard error of the mean, for six determinations at each time point. FIG. 3 is a graphical illustration of the postprandial blood glucose response in subjects after administration of acarbose and consumption of a solid test meal (open symbolε) or Ensure® (closed symbols) as described in Example 6. The data points represent the mean blood glucose level in mmoles/L (mm/L) , plus or minus the standard error of the mean, for six determinations at each time point. Detailed Description The practice of the present invention will employ, unless otherwise indicated, conventional methods of chemistry, biochemistry, medicine, nutritional analysis and food formulation, within the skill of the art. Such techniques are explained fully -7- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) in the literature. See, e.gr., Bergmeyer et al., eds. Methods of Enzymatic Analysis, Academic Press (New York), U.S. Dept. HEW (1982) Lipid and Lipoprotein Analysis : Manual of Laboratory Operations, Lipid Research Clinics Program , (Washington, DC) , AOAC (1980) Official Methods of Analysis (Washington, DC) , National Diabetes Group (1979) Clasεification and Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus and Other Categories of Glucose Intolerance, Diabetes £8 . : 1039-1057, Furia (1972 and 1980) Handbook of Food Additives , 2d ed. , Volumes I and II, CRC Press Inc. (West Palm Beach, FL) , and Committee on Specifications, Committee on Food Protection, National Research Council (1980) Food Chemicals Codex, 3d ed. , National Academy of Sciences (Washington, DC) . All publications, patents and patent applications cited herein, whether supra or infra , are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an" and "the" include plural references unleεε the content clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, the term "a blood glucose measurement" can include more than one such measurement. A. Definitions In describing the present invention, the following terms will be employed, and are intended to be defined as indicated below. Although reference is made to blood as a biological sample in the following definitions, the term is intended to encompass other biological samples as well. By "glycemic response" is meant the amount of glucose produced in the blood following ingestion of a food, test meal or the like taken at a specific postprandial time point, for example, 30, 60, 90 and/or 120 minutes. A subject's glycemic response may be expressed as a percentage the response to a control standard, for example, a 75-gram glucose-containing beverage, e.g. , Glucodex® (Bougier, Inc. , Camble, Quebec) . Preferably the glycemic index is taken 60 minutes postprandial. The "glycemic index" of a food, test meal or the like ("GI") is defined as (F/S) x 100 where F is the area under the curve ("AUC") of the glycemic response taken at multiple time points from 0 to 120 minutes after ingestion an amount of the food or test meal that provides 50 grams of available carbohydrate and S is the AUC of the glycemic response after ingestion of a reference food that provides 50 gramε of available carbohydrate. Preferably the reference food is white bread or a liquid glucose beverage. In determining the glycemic index of a food or test meal, F and S are taken in a subject; preferably S is determined in triplicate and the mean value is used to calculate the GI. The GI of a food or test meal is preferably calculated as the mean of the GIs for that food or teεt meal that haε been determined in about three to ten or more εubjectε. The "area under the curve" ("AUC") uεed to calculate the glycemic index of a food or teεt meal is the incremental area under the curve of the glycemic response above fasting glucose levels. For example, the AUC can be calculated geometrically as follows, wherein I n is the difference between the blood glucose level at time n and the fasting blood glucose level and Δt is the time interval between I n and I n _ι- Blood samples are taken after a 10- to 16-hour fast and at n time points from 0 to 120 minutes or more after ingestion of the food or test meal has begun. AUC is the sum of A n over n time pointε wherein: A n = (Δt x (I n + I n _ι))/2, when both l n and 1^ ! are greater than 0; A n = (Δt x (I n ) 2 )/(2 x (I n - I n _ λ ) , when I n is greater than 0 and l n _ λ is lesε than 0; A n = (Δt x (I n _ -9- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) 1 ) 2 )/(2 x (I n _ ! - I n ) , when I n is lesε than 0 and I n _ 1 iε greater than 0; and A n = 0, when I n and I n - are less than 0. The glycemic index expressed as AUC may be used as a basis for dietary carbohydrate exchange and as a reference for assessing the glucose response to a particular food. (see , Jenkins et al. (1981) Am . J. Clin . Nutr. 3_4:362-366, and Jenkins et al. (1983) Diabetologia £4 . :257-264) . The glycemic index may be determined as described in Wolever et al. (1985) Diabetes Care 8 :418-428, Wolever et al. (1991) Am . J . Clin . Nutr . 5_4:846-854 and Wolever et al. (1994) Am . J . Clin . Nutr . 59:1265-1269. By "available carbohydrate" is meant the amount of total carbohydrate ingested which can be digested and absorbed. Total carbohydrate is calculated by difference, i.e., total carbohydrate ("TC") is calculated using the equation TC = S - M - A - F - P, where S is the weight of the food sample, M iε the moisture content, A is the ash content, F is the fat content and P is the protein content. The methods for measuring moisture, ash, fat and protein are deεcribed in, e.g. , AOAC Official Methods of Analysis (1980) Waεhington, DC, Association of Official Analytical Chemistε. Available carbohydrate iε the difference between total carbohydrate and dietary fiber in a food εample. Dietary fiber can be measured, e.g., according to the method of Prosky et al. (1988) J. Assoc . Off . Anal . Chem . 71: 1017. By "management of diεorderε of carbohydrate metaboliεm" is intended both the pharmacological diminution of postprandial blood glucose levels and/or insulin reεponεeε, a decreaεe in insulin resiεtance and a decreaεe in the medical εequelae which are the hallmark of εuch diseases, as well as the titration of drug doεage for the treatment of theεe diseaseε in individual subjects. -10- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) By "medically controlled" is meant that a diagnostic teεt meal containε a εource of carbohydrate that provides a calibrated amount of available carbohydrate which, when administered to a subject, yields a predetermined glycemic response, preferably a predetermined glycemic index. Furthermore, "medically controlled" is intended to mean that the amount of available carbohydrate in a diagnostic test meal is periodically recalibrated to insure the precision of the predetermined response in test subjects and that the glycemic index is monitored to insure precision. The term "insulin" includes both non¬ specific insulin and εpecific insulin. Insulin exists in various forms in the blood, which forms include insulin, proinsulin and a number of εplit proinεulin productε. Non-specific insulin is determined using non-specific antibodies that crosε-react with various forms of proinsulin. Specific insulin iε determined using antibodies displaying little or no crosε- reactivity with proinεulin. Such antibodieε can be raiεed using routine methods well known in the art. Polyclonal serum or monoclonal antibodieε can be prepared in reεponεe to the deεired antigen. Inεulin, proinεulin or εplit-proinsulin or their fragments can be used to produce antibodieε, both polyclonal and monoclonal. If polyclonal antibodieε are deεired, a εelected mammal, (e.g., mouεe, rabbit, goat, horεe, etc.) iε immunized with an antigen εelected from inεulin, proinεulin, εplit- proinsulin or fragments thereof. Serum from the immunized animal is collected and treated according to known procedures. If serum containing polyclonal antibodies iε used, the polyclonal antibodies can be purified by immunoaffinity chromatography, using known procedures. Monoclonal antibodieε to insulin, proinsulin or split-proinsulin, and to fragments thereof, can be -11- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) readily produced by one εkilled in the art. The general methodology for making monoclonal antibodieε by using hybridoma technology is well known. Immortal antibody-producing cell lines can be created by cell fusion, and also by other techniques such as direct transformation of B lymphocytes with oncogenic DNA, or tranεfection with Epεtein-Barr viruε. See, e . g . , Schreier et al. (1980) Hybridoma Techniques ; Hammerling et al. (1981) Monoclonal Antibodieε and T-cell Hybridomas Kennett et al. (1980) Monoclonal Antibodies ; see also U.S. Patent Noε. 4,341,761; 4,399,121; 4,427,783; 4,444,887; 4,452,570; 4,466,917; 4,472,500, 4,491,632; and 4,493,890. Panelε of monoclonal antibodieε produced against the selected antigen can be screened for variouε propertieε; i.e., for isotype, epitope, affinity, etc. A "reference concentration" of glucose or insulin in a biological specimen iε that concentration that haε been reported aε normal for a normal, nonobese, nondiabetic, healthy subject. The reference concentration may be in reference to faεting glucoεe or inεulin or in reference to poεtprandial glucoεe or inεulin concentration. Such reference concentrationε are deεcribed in, for example. National Diabeteε Group (1979) Diabetes 2_8: 1039-1057, and WHO Expert Committee (1980) Diabetes Mellitus , Geneva, World Health Organization (Tech. Rep. Ser. no. 646) . In addition, a reference concentration may be an intra-subject reference, i.e., a concentration of glucose or insulin in a biological sample previously obtained from the subject being retested. By "vertebrate subject" is meant any member of the subphylum chordata, including, without limitation, mammals such as cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses, and man; domestic animals such as dogs and cats; and birds, including domestic, wild and game birds such as cocks and hens including chickens, -12- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) turkeys and other gallinaceouε birdε. The term doeε not denote a particular age. Thus, both adult and newborn animals are intended to be covered. The terms "self-diagnoεis", "self-teaching" and "εelf-monitoring" are meant to encompass the use of the diagnostic test meal in a non-clinic setting. Thus, for example, self-diagnosis is intended to encompass not only the use of the diagnostic test meal by a human subject on himself or herself for the diagnosis of a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism, but also the use of the diagnoεtic teεt meal by a party for the diagnoεiε of a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism in another vertebrate subject. A "biological εample" may be derived from a variety of sources, e.g., human or other mammalian biological fluids or tissues, including blood (serum or plasma), urine, cerebrospinal fluid, stool, sputum, or wound or glandular exudates, ocular lens fluid, lymph fluid, genital washings, biopsy tissue samples, and the like. One preferred biological sample is blood. The terms "blood glucose" and "blood inεulin" are intended to mean glucoεe and insulin, respectively, measured in whole blood, εerum, or plaεma taken from a vein or a capillary bed. Typical sources of capillary blood include finger-, heel, or earlobe-prickε. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the blood glucose level or blood insulin level will vary slightly depending on the source. The glucoεe and inεulin levels in a biological sample may be measured by any method known in the art. In thiε regard, glucoεe levelε may be measured using the hexokinase method (Bergmeyer et al. (1974) in Bergmeyer et al., edε. Methods of Enzymatic Analysis , Academic Preεε (New York) . Briefly, thiε assay entails simultaneously incubating the biological -13- SUBSTΪTUTE SHEET(RULE26) εample with the enzyme hexokinaεe, which catalyzeε the transfer of the γ-phosphate group from adenosine triphosphate ("ATP") to glucose to form glucose-6- phosphate and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, which, in the presence of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate ("NADP") , catalyzes the converεion glucoεe-6-phosphate to 6-phosphogluconate and reduced NADP ("NADPH") . The reεultant NADPH iε coupled to the reduction of iodonitrotetrazolium ("INT") , or other reagent which when chemically reduced forms a colorimetrically detectable specieε, to form INT-formazan. Optionally, glucose may be measured, e.g., using glucose oxidase-catalyzed converεion of glucoεe to gluconic acid, thereby producing hydrogen peroxide, which may be detected colorimetrically by, for example, incubation with 4-aminoantipyrine and p-hydroxybenzene sulfonate or o-dianisidine in the preεence of peroxidase to produce the colorimetrically detectable species quinoneimine dye or oxidized o- dianiεidine, respectively. By comparison with a standard curve generated uεing known quantitieε of glucoεe, the amount of glucoεe in the εample can be determined. The individual componentε required for the above-described glucose asεays, as well as kits therefor, may be obtained from any commercial εource, e.g., Sigma Chemical Co. (St. Louis, MO) . Insulin levels in biological sampleε may be determined by, for example, radioimmunoassay. Typically, an antibody against insulin is used that cross-reacts with proinsulin and εplit-proinεulin (Reaven et al. (1993) J . Clin . Endo . Metab . 76:44-48) . A εpecific antibody is commercially available which only minimally (< 0.2%) crosε-reactε with proinsulin and split-proinεulin (Human Inεulin Specific RIA kit, Linco Research, Inc., St. Louis, MO) . Assays employing either antibody may be used to assesε the level of inεulin in a biological εample. Preferably, a sample may be assayed with the crosε-reacting antibody and with the εpecific antibody in order to determine the amounts of proinsulin preεent in the biological sample. The solid oral carbohydrate diagnostic test meal discloεed and claimed herein contains a carbohydrate source providing an amount of starch, i.e., complex carbohydrate, which has been calibrated and standardized to provide a selected quantity of available carbohydrate upon ingeεtion of the test meal by a vertebrate subject. The preferred source of carbohydrate is oat starch formulated with a standardized quantity of β-glucan from oat grain, other cereal grain including, without limitation, any of the various cultivars of e.g., barley, oat, wheat, rye, corn, maize, sorghum and millet, or another εource, such as potato, sweet potato, canna, arrowroot, tapioca (casava) sago, arum, triticale, rice, beans, peas, lentils, chestnuts, peanuts, inulin, lichen, or the like. Alternative, any synthetic starch well known in the art can be in included as a carbohydrate source. Other ingredients may also be included such as protein, fat, texture and palatability enhancers and the like. The test meal may be formulated to contain a physiologically balanced carbohydrate source, i.e., the test meal may contain the recommended diabetes dietary requirements of carbohydrate, fat and protein. Such dietary guidelines have been set forth by the American Diabetes Aεεociation ("ADA") (1994) Diabeteε Care 37:519-522, the Canadian Diabeteε Aεsociation ("CDA") (1989) Beta Releaεe 13 . :8-17, and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes ("EASD") (1988) Diab . Nutr . Metab . 1 ;145-149, the discloεures of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference. The CDA and EASD recommendationε provide that carbohydrate should make up 50% or more of energy intake, fat intake should not exceed 30% of energy intake (of which it is recommended that 10% is saturated fat, 10% is monounsaturated fat and 10% is polyunsaturated fat) , protein should be adjusted to meet individual energy requirements, e.g., about 12% to about 15% of energy intake, with the diet having high fiber soluble fiber content, e.g., 40 gramε per day or 25 gramε per 1000 kilocalorieε ("kcal") . Current ADA recommendationε do not specify total amounts of dietary carbohydrate and fat, but recommend that these dietary components be individualized according to need. The ADA recommendations do provide that less than about 10% of energy intake should be from saturated fat and that about 60% to about 70% of energy intake should be from carbohydrate and monosaturated fat. Energy can be calculated in kcal and converted to kilojouleε (kJ) by uεing the conversion factor of 1 kcal equal 4.18 kJ. In one preferred formulation, the diagnostic test meal is formulated to contain about 45% to about 75%, preferably 50% to 65%, more preferably 55% to 60% of the energy provided in the meal from carbohydrates, preferably complex carbohydrates. In addition, the teεt meal may contain about 15% to 30% of energy from fat, low in εaturated fat, e.g. , leεs than about 10% to 30% of total fat energy, and higher in monounsaturated fat, e.g., greater than about 25% to 75%, preferably 45% to 55%, of total fat energy, with the remaining fat energy provided by polyunsaturated fat, about 10% to 25% energy from protein, with the optional addition of about 5 to 10 grams of dietary fiber. Among the preferred constituents are fat obtained from vegetable oilε, such as canola oil, rapeseed oil, flax oil, borage oil, safflower oil, -16- SUBSTTTUTESHEET(RULE26) εoybean oil, coconut oil, evening-primroεe oil, caεtor oil, olive oil, almond oil, peanut oil, linεeed oil, corn oil and maize oil, fish oils such as cod liver oil or halibut oil, extracted oat fat or the like, protein obtained from soy flour, egg albumin, ovoglobulin, wheat gluten, whey, lactoglobulin, lactalbumin, meat and blood isolates, serum albumin, fish protein iεolateε, legume isolates, soy protein, quinoa protein, or the like, and dietary soluble fiber such as /3-glucan in oat bran. In order to increase the palatability of the test meal, flavoring such as apple juice, cinnamon, lemon or orange extracts, or the like may be added to the test meal. Other standard food additiveε may be incorporated into the test meal, for example, acidulants, anticaking agents, antimicrobial agents, antioxidants, baking aids, bleaching agents, buffering agents, bulking agentε, carmelization aidε, carriers, clarifying agents, clouding agents, colorants, color fixatives, cooking media, defoamers, dough conditionerε, emulεifierε, enzymeε, filter aidε, firming agents, flavor enhancers, flavors, foam stabilizers, food starch modifiers, gums, humectants, hydrocolloids, leavening agents, lubricants, masticatory substances, maturing agents, microorganisms, neutralizers, nonnutritive sweeteners, nutrientε and dietary εupplements, preservativeε, propellantε, protein sources, refrigerants, salt substitutes, sequestrantε, solvents, stabilizers, surface-active agentε, surface- finishing agents, εweetenerε, texturizerε, thickenerε, vitaminε, and the like. See, e.g., Furia (1972 and 1980) Handbook of Food Additives , 2d ed. , Volumes I and II, CRC Presε Inc. (Weεt Palm Beach, FL) . In one preferred embodiment, a 90.5-gram εolid test meal is provided in the form of a bar. The test meal, having 326 kcal of energy provided by the meal, consiεts of 50.0 grams of carbohydrate (61.5% of -17- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) the meal energy) derived from starch extracted from oat groats, 8.9 grams of fat (24.5% of the meal energy) derived from canola oil and extracted oat fat, 11.4 grams of protein (14.0% of the meal energy) derived from soy flour, egg albumin and/or wheat gluten, 6.9 gramε of fiber derived from -glucan in oat bran, and apple juice, cinnamon and orange juice for flavoring. A particularly preferred formulation for a 133.25-gram (wet weight) teεt meal in the form of a bar includes the following ingredients (in grams) : water (44) , rolled oat flakes (19.82) , pin-milled flour (available as Ostar® PM flour from Canamino, Inc., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada) ((13.21) , pin- milled starch (available aε Oεtar® PM starch from Canamino, Inc.) (13.21) , oat bran (6.6), liquid honey (9.55) , canola oil (7.78) , soy protein (5.73), sugar (3.69), glycerin (3.34), gluten (2.86) , baking powder (2.192), cinnamon (1.096), salt (0.116) , and allεpice (0.041) . The amount of available carbohydrate in the test meal may be calibrated to achieve a selected glycemic responεe or, preferably, a εelected glycemic index, determined aε described above. A reference glycemic responεe may be obtained using, for example, an oral liquid glucose standard containing a quantity of glucose, for example, 25 grams, 50 grams, 75 grams or 100 grams of glucoεe. The amount of available carbohydrate in a test meal may be standardized to achieve a εelected 30-minute, 45-minute, 60-minute, 90-minute 120-minute, or the like, poεtprandial blood glucoεe response. For a test meal calibrated against an oral liquid glucose reference, it is preferred that the reference glycemic responεe be determined uεing a 75-gram oral liquid glucoεe beverage, e.g., Glucodex®. For a teεt meal calibrated to achieve a εelected glycemic index, a preferred reference glycemic index -18- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) may obtained using a 50-gram carbohydrate portion of white bread. Thus, for example, the glycemic responεe or glycemic index obtained for a subject after ingestion of the test meal may be compared to the precalibrated glycemic index or glycemic response of the teεt meal. The carbohydrate εource can be obtained commercially, e.g. , Canamino (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada) . Optionally and preferably, the carbohydrate source may be prepared from cereal grainε, and preferably oats, using the method disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,435,429, issued to Burrows et al., the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference. Briefly, the process involves separation of endospermic tissue from other tissues in grain by first soaking the grain in an aqueous medium, pH 3-7, at 40°C to 70°C until the grain haε abεorbed at least itε own weight of the aqueouε medium and the endoεperm portion of the grain has been liquified by the action of enzymes indigenous to the cell wall. The grain is then split under pressure to release virtually all the liquified endosperm. The endosperm can then be separated from the other tiεεues of the grain. The grain can be whole, dehulled or hullesε. The aqueous medium preferably contains up to about 0.1 wt.% S0 2 . Using thiε method, low fiber, off-white flour can be produced in the wet or dry εtate ready for further fractionating. Optionally, and in most cases preferably, the carbohydrate source from cereal grains, preferably oat grains, may be prepared using the method deεcribed in U.S. Patent No. 5,169,660, iεεued to Collins et al., which is hereby incorporated in itε entirety by reference. The method involveε firεt εteeping the cereal grain in water for a period of time sufficient to subεtantially completely liquify the endoεperm. The steeped grain is then macerated in an aqueouε ethanol solution to liberate the liquid endosperm. Insoluble bran is then separated and recovered from the aqueous ethanol solution and the insoluble flour is separated and recovered from the bran-free aqueous ethanol solution. Recovery of the insoluble bran and flour from the aqueous ethanol solution may be effected by passing the solution over sequentially finer mesh εcreenε. This method is particularly useful for producing relatively pure bran and flour from oat, wheat and rye grains. The test meal may be in any solid phyεical form such as a bar, wafer, biscuit, cookie or the like. Preferably, the meal is in the form of a bar. More preferably, the bar is scored to provide two or more portions that may be broken off and ingested if it is deεired that the subject ingest a lower quantity, if multiple tests are to be administered or if the εubject iε a juvenile. A teεt meal bar may be made by routine methods well known to those of skill in the art. For example, the components of the test meal may be blended in predetermined proportions with a binding agent, if necessary, selected so as to preserve the component proportions of the bar, e.g., gelatin, β- glucan or wheat gluten, to form a mixture. The mixture may be molded, pressed, poured, extruded or otherwise formed into a desired shape. The shaped bar may also be baked, steamed, dried or otherwise processed, as required, to set the shape of the bar. See, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 5,200,215 to Slade et al. The test meal disclosed herein produces a more preciεe (CV K 3%-5%) and more phyεiological measurement of postprandial glucose and insulin reεponses compared to liquid glucose beverageε εuch as Glucodex®. Furthermore, the solid test meal produces more precise responseε than liquid meals such as Enrich® (Ross Laboratories, Montreal, Canada) . Thus, in using the solid teεt meal, it iε poεεible to predict blood glucose or insulin reεponεeε with only 3%-5% error. Accordingly, the solid test meal can be used as a substitute for the liquid 75-gram liquid glucose standard for the diagnosis and/or management of diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, maturity onset diabetes or gestational diabetes, insulin resistance or for the regulation of hypoglycemia. In addition, the test meal can be used to determine postprandial glucose and/or insulin responses. Conventional fasting blood glucose or insulin determinations are unreliable for the asεessment of disorders of carbohydrate metabolism because as many as 39% of the subjects in the upper range of normal fasted glucose levelε εhow diabetic poεtprandial glucoεe responses. Thus, they can only be found with a 60-minute or greater postprandial carbohydrate challenge. Using the novel diagnostic solid test meal disclosed herein, a postprandial glucose reεponεe assessment can be initiated one or two hours before clinical laboratory examination, e.g. , a subject ingests the test meal one or two hours before blood is drawn at the clinic. In addition, the test meal can be uεed for εelf-diagnoεiε, self- teaching and blood glucose self-monitoring. Insulin measurements require the ingestion of carbohydrate, fat and protein to be accurate; the OGTT cannot be used to measure poεtprandial plasma insulin levelε accurately. One method for determining poεtprandial insulin responεeε using the solid test meal involves first determining a subject's fasting insulin blood levels uεing methods well known in the art, for example, radioimmunoasεay. Postprandial insulin levels are then determined 60, 90 and/or 120 minutes after the ingestion of a diagnostic test meal and compared with predetermined and recognized -21- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) standards (see, e.g., Reaven et al. (1993) Diabeteε 2 . 1324 and DeFronzo (1988) Diabetes 37:667) or compared with previous tests on the individual subject. In addition, the diagnostic test meal can be used in the management of disorderε of carbohydrate metabolism. In particular, the test meal can be used as a standard test meal to titrate drug dosage for the treatment of these diseases in individual subjects with oral antidiabetic agentε. For example, α- glucosidase inhibitors, e.g., acarbose, are a new claεε of drugs which improve blood glucoεe control in diabetics (Clisεold et al. (1988) Drugs 35:214-243 ; Chiasson et al. (1994) Ann. Int . Med . 121:928-935, . Following a liquid test meal, acarbose treatment causes a decrease in the mean glucose peak determined 90 minutes postprandial in patients with NIDDM (Chiaεεon et al., supra) . However, flatulence, abdominal diεtension and diarrhea are major side- effectε associated with α-glucosidase inhibitors. This, it iε deεirable to titrate the dose of acarbose to that dose required to εuppreεε poεtprandial plasma glucose. The diagnoεtic teεt meal diεcloεed herein alεo affords a method by which such dosing regimens can be titrated to an optimal level. In order to assess the dosage of drugs required to decrease postprandial blood glucose a predetermined amount, a εolid teεt meal may be adminiεtered to a εubject and plaεma glucoεe levels monitored for 0 (i.e., the 10- to 16-hour fasting level) 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. The incremental area under the glycemic response curve is calculated geometrically, ignoring area beneath the fasting value (Wolever et al. (1991) Am . J . Clin . Nutr . 5_4:846-854) . Thiε procedure is repeated after administration of the antidiabetic agent to determine if the drug produces the desired -22- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) diminution in glycemic responεe. The dose of drug administered iε then adjusted upward or downward as necesεary to achieve the deεired effect. The process may be repeated aε often as required until the desired drug response iε achieved. In addition, the efficacy of the treatment may be assessed periodically and the drug dosage adjusted as necessary. A determination of the efficacy of an antidiabetic drug, and whether adjustment of the drug dosage is required, may be made by monitoring changes in the poεtprandial blood glucose concentration following administration of the drug. Acceptable limits of a drug-induced change in poεtprandial blood glucoεe concentration as indicating either acceptable efficacy or a necessity for further titration of the doεage are well known to those of skill in the art. For example, it is generally accepted that, in a subject that has been treated with a first dose of an antidiabetic agent, a second higher or lower dose of the agent that reεpectively effectε a decreaεe or increaεe in blood glucose of approximately 2 mmol/L is considered equally efficacious. An additional use for the solid diagnostic test meal is in the area of self-diagnosis and self- monitoring. Using currently available techniqueε well known to thoεe in the art, a subject can obtain fasting and poεtprandial blood εamples which can be analyzed for glucose levels using, for example, the One Touch® II blood glucose monitoring εyεtem (Lifescan, Inc. , Milpitas, California) . Optionally, urinary glucose levels may be asεeεεed uεing the Tes- Tape® glucose enzymatic teεt strip (Eli Lilly, Indianapolis, Indiana) . Furthermore, as the invention representε a nutritionally balanced meal it can be used in the treatment of hypoglycemia and diabetic shock. It is to be understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the preferred specific embodiments thereof, that the description above as well as the examples which follow are intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention. Other aspectε, advantages and modificationε within the εcope of the invention will be apparent to thoεe skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. The following examples are put forth so aε to provide thoεe of ordinary skill in the art with a complete discloεure and deεcription of how to make and uεe the compoundε of the invention, and are not intended to limit the εcope of what the inventorε regard aε their invention. Effortε have been made to insure accuracy with respect to numbers (e.g. , amounts, temperature, etc.) but some errorε and deviationε εhould be accounted for. Unleεε indicated otherwiεe, partε are parts by weight, temperature is in °C and presεure iε at or near atmospheric. B. Experimental Materials and Methods Finger-prick capillary blood samples (K 200 μl) were collected into fluoro-oxalate tubes and stored at -20°C for a maximum of 24 hourε. Whole blood glucoεe waε meaεured uεing a model 2300 STAT glucoεe analyzer (Yellow Springε Instruments, Ohio) . Incremental areas under the glycemic reεponse curves ("AUC") were calculated geometrically, ignoring area beneath the fasting value (Wolever et al. (1991) Am. J. Clin . Nutr . 54:846-854). The mean and standard deviation ("SD") of the results for three repeats of each test meal (unless otherwise indicated) were calculated for each -24- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) subject and the coefficient of variation ("CV") was calculated by expressing the SD as a percent of the mean. Where appropriate, analysis of variance was performed with subject and test meal as the variables, and the Neuman-Kuels procedure used to adjust for multiple comparisons. Plasma insulin was measured by radioimmunoaεεay. Normally, proinεulin iε almoεt completely cleaved when inεulin iε εecreted. Accordingly, in normal εubjectε proinεulin iε preεent only in trace amountε in plaεma. However, in εubjects with IGT and diabetes, insulin secretion is abnormal and larger amounts of proinsulin are present in plasma. Since proinsulin cross-reacts with the antibody in the conventional assay, this may yield results that indicate falsely elevated insulin levelε. Although the amount of proinsulin present in plasma of hyperinsulinemic εubjects is not enough to account for the hyperinsulinemia, i.e., the true insulin level is elevated (Reaven et al., εupra ) , both asεays are used for asεeεεing the inεulin reεponεeε described in the Examples below. Plaεma glucoεe waε meaεured uεing the hexokinaεe method (Bergmeyer et al. (1974) in Bergr~yer et al., edε. Methods of Enzymatic Analysis , Academic Preεε (New York) . All procedures involving human subjectε were approved by the Univerεity of Toronto Human Subjectε Review Committee or other appropriate review committee. EXAMPLE 1 Determination of Glycemic Index of Test Meal Components The purpose of this experiment was to determine the glycemic index of oat starch, oat flour -25- SUBSTTTUTE SHEET (RULE 26) and oat bran, which are the main ingredients for the teεt meal. Seven normal subjects were studied on six different occasions in the morning after overnight fasts. They ate 50-gram available carbohydrate portions of oat starch (56 gm) , oat flour (64 gm) , oat bran (105 gm) and white bread (100 gm) . The white bread ingestion was repeated three timeε by each εubject for glycemic index calculationε. The oat productε were prepared by adding 250 ml boiling water to the preweighed product, stirring well and letting stand for three to four minutes. Each teεt meal waε conεumed with a 250 ml to 500 ml drink of the subject's choice of water, coffee or tea (with 30 ml 2% milk if desired) ; the drink waε standardized for each subject. Finger-prick capillary blood test sampleε were obtained from the faεting εubjectε prior to ingeεtion of the meal and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 minuteε after εtarting to eat the teεt meal. Teεt mealε were consumed by each subject within 15 minutes. Glycemic index was calculated as the AUC for each oat product expreεεed aε a percent of the mean AUC for the three white bread mealε ingested by each subject. The mean coefficient of variation ("CV") for the εeven subjects for fasting blood glucose levels and for blood glucose levels 60 and 120 minutes after white bread ingestion were 2.7%, 3.7% and 5.3%, reεpectively. The mean CV for the glycemic index waε 11.9%. Thiε variability iε conεiderably leεε than the mean CV of 22% expected baεed on previouε data for normal εubjectε taking repeated teεts of white bread meals. The glycemic indices (expreεεed as the mean ± S.E.M.) of oat starch (124 ± 12) and oat flour (127 ± 19) were virtually identical and not significantly different from that of white bread (100) . The peak glycemic responεes of oat starch and oat flour were -26- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) significantly greater than that of white bread. The glycemic index of oat bran (54 ± 10) was significantly less than that of white bread, as waε itε peak glycemic reεponεe. EXAMPLE 2 Compariεon of Reproducibility of the Glycemic Responses to Oral Glucose Tolerance Teεts and Carbohydrate Diagnostic Test Meals Ten normal subjects (4 male, 6 female; age: 33 ± 3 years; body mass index ("BMI") : 23.8 ± 1.1 kg/m 2 ) were εtudied after 10-12 hour overnight faεts on nine separate morningε over a εix-week period. One εubject, found to have impaired glucoεe tolerance during the εtudy, had had a normal OGTT six months prior to the study. Subjects consumed either 75 grams of glucose in 300 ml orange-flavored water (Glucodex®) or a 50-gram carbohydrate portion of white bread or a solid oral carbohydrate diagnostic test meal consisting of an oat bar. White bread was baked in 250-gram carbohydrate loaves containing 334 grams of all purpose flour (Maple Leaf Mills, Toronto, Ontario) , 7 grams of sucrose, 6 grams of yeast, 4 grams of salt and 2500 mL water. Each loaf was cut into 50-gram portions (discarding crust ends) . The oat bar contained bran, starch and flour refined from oats under highly εtandardized conditionε. The 50-gram carbohydrate portion of oat bar weighed 104 gramε and contained 352 kcal, 11.7 grams fat, 11.8 grams protein, 42.2 grams starch, 7.8 grams sugars and 5.9 grams dietary fiber. The energy content expressed in kcal can be calculated based on the energy content per gram of fat (9 kcal) , protein (4 kcal) , available carbohydrate (3.8 kcal) , reεpectively. -27- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) The glucose solution was taken with 250 ml water, and bread portions and oat bars were taken with 450 ml water. Subjects repeated each test meal three times and test meals were consumed within 10 minutes. Finger-prick capillary blood samples were collected prior to and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after starting to eat and whole blood glucose was analyzed aε deεcribed above. Incremental areas under the glycemic response curves were calculated by the method described above. The mean fasting blood glucoεe concentration waε εimilar before each of the three teεt mealε. After glucoεe ingeεtion, mean blood glucoεe waε εignificantly greater than after bread and oat bar at every time point; no εignificant differenceε were observed in mean blood glucose between bread and oat bar at any time point. The incremental area under the curve after glucose (284 ± 42 mmol«min/L) was greater than after bread (146 ± 22 mmol«min/L) (p < 0.01) and oat bar (124 ± 19 mmol « min/L) (p < 0.01) , with no εignificant difference between bread and oat bar. The within-εubject CV of blood glucoεe for the three repeatε of oral glucoεe were greater than for the three bread teεts and at 15, 30 and 90 minute (p < 0.05). The CVs for oat bar were not εignificantly different from glucose or bread, except that at 120 minutes both oat bar and bread CVs were lesε than after oral glucoεe (p < 0.01) . For seven of the ten subjects, the CV of the 120-minute blood glucose after 75 grams glucoεe waε > 7%, while after bread, seven of the ten subjects had CV < 7%. The mean CV of the areas under the curve was less for bread than oat bar (p < 0.05), but the area CVs for bread and oat bar were not significantly different from that for glucose. The difference between subjects for blood glucose CV was significant at 120 minutes (F, 9f 18) =2.72) but not at any other time. There was a poεitive relationship between the mean 120-minute blood glucose concentration and the CV of the 120- minute blood glucose. The mean within-individual CV of the 2-hour poεtprandial blood glucoεe waε 12.9% in εubjectε who had been given 75 grams of glucose. In contrast, the mean within-individual CV of the 2-hour poεtprandial blood glucoεe was about 5% for bread or the test meal. EXAMPLE 3 Solid Oral Carbohydrate Diagnostic Test Meal A typical analysiε of a 90.5-gram and a 98.0-gram εolid oral carbohydrate test meal is given in Table I below. TABLE I COMPOSITIONAL ANALYSIS OF A SOLID TEST MEAL A B Source Meal Weight 90.5 gramε 98.0 grams Caloric 326 Kcal 350 Kcal Content Fat 8.9 gramε 11.3 grams canola oil (24.5% and extracted energy) oat fat Protein 11.4 gramε 12.2 grams soy flour (14.0% and/or egg energy) albumin and wheat gluten Carbohydrate 50.0 grams a 50 grams a oat (61.5% (40.5 a + starch* energy) 9.5 b ) b sugars Fiber 6.9% 5.9 grams 3-Glucan** in oat bran Flavoring apple juice, cinnamon, orange * Starch extracted from oat groats. 80% of the available carbohydrate iε from iεolated modified oat starch. ** β-Glucan 19% in oat bran. EXAMPLE 4 Evaluation of the Effect of Acarbose on Glucose Tolerance. Hyperinsulinemia and Insulin Sensitivity The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of acarbose, and α-glucosidase inhibitor, on glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia and insulin sensitivity in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. Subjects were randomly treated in a double-blind fashion with placebo (n = 12) or acarbose (n = 11) , 100 mg three times a day ("TID") for four months. Each subject was tested as follows before and after treatment. The subjects were fed a liquid test meal followed by measurementε of plaεma glucoεe, inεulin and proinεulin 30, 60, 90, and 120 minuteε postprandial. In addition, an insulin suppresεion test was done on each subject before and after treatment using the εteady εtate plaεma glucose ("SSPG") as an index of inεulin sensitivity. Thus, εubjectε were continuouεly infuεed with inεulin, somatostatin and glucose for three hours. Plaεma glucoεe levelε were taken at 120 minuteε, 150 minuteε and 180 minuteε. The meanε of theεe levels (the SSPG) was uεed aε a measure of insulin sensitivity. The mean peak plasma glucoεe reεponεe to the liquid teεt meal at 60 minuteε postprandial was 8.4 ± 0.6 mmol/L before randomization. The reεpective responses after placebo and acarboεe treatment were 8.2 ± 0.9 mmol/L and 6.3 ± 0.3 mmol/L (p < 0.0001) . The mean peak proinεulin response at 120 minuteε postprandial was 76.8 pmol/L before randomization. After placebo and acarbose treatment the respective responseε were 81.1 pmol/L and 58.2 pmol/L (p < 0.001). The mean SPPG was 13.3 ± 1.0 mmol/L before randomization. After placebo and acarbose treatments, the respective mean SPPGs were 13.8 ± 0.4 and 10.0 ± 1.2 mmol/L (p < 0.032) . These data indicate that, in subjects with IGT, acarbose treatment induced an improvement in glucose tolerance, a decrease in insulin levels and a decreaεe in insulin resiεtance. EXAMPLE 5 Compariεon of the Relationεhip Between Plaεma Glucoεe and Insulin Responses to Oral Glucose and the Test Meal in Obese Subjects. IGT Subjects and Subjects with Type 2 Diabeteε Four groupε of adult (> 18 yearε of age) were εtudied with 10 volunteerε in each group: nonobese (BMI < 27 kg/m 2 ) normal subjectε; obese (BMI > 27 kg/m 2 ) normal subjects; subjects with impaired glucose tolerance ("IGT") within the last twelve months; and subjects with non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes treated by diet alone. Each subject was studied on eight occasions after a 12-hour overnight faεt. The εubjects consumed either 75 gramε of glucose in 300 ml orange-flavored water (Glucodex®) ("GTT") or 50 grams of available carbohydrate in the form of a 98.0-gram test meal in the form of a bar ("TMB") as described in Table I. The test meals were administered to each subject in four consecutive blocks with each block consisting of one GTT and one TMB. The order of tests within each block was randomized, with randomization stratified according to group and gender. Both venous and capillary blood samples were obtained at each time point. The capillary blood sample was taken from a finger prick immediately after the venous εample had been obtained by way of an intravenouε cannula. After-faεting samples of venous and capillary blood were obtained, the εubject consumed GTT or TMB over a ten-minute period. -31- SUBS7TTUTESHEET(RULE26) Additional blood sampleε were taken at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 minuteε after the εtart of the test meal (t 0 = start of test meal consumption) . Reproducibility of the repeated tests in each group of subjects is expressed as the coefficient of variance which is calculated from the 4 repeated testε done by each subject. Reproducibility is determined for the 60-minute and 120-minute time points and for the incremental area under the curve. The differences between plasma glucose and insulin responεeε of the different test meals (GTT and TMB) are determined primarily using the area under the curve and secondarily using each time point with analyεiε of variance of the repeated measurements. Within-subject variability of blood glucose and insulin responεes following ingestion of 75 grams glucose are compared with the reproducibility after ingestion of 50 grams of available carbohydrate in teεt bar format. In addition, the relationship between the plasma glucose and insulin responεes after oral glucose and the test bar meal are compared in nonobese and obese normal subjectε, εubjects with impaired glucose tolerance and subjects with type 2 diabetes treated by diet alone. To date 44 GTT tests and 41 TMB tests have been completed. Six subjects have completed the study, and 16 subjectε (8 normal, 5 IGT, and 3 diabetic) have taken at least 1 glucose and one bar test. The mean 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose of these 16 subjects after the GTT varied from 3.6 mmol/L to 19.9 mmol/L. The mean 2-hour postprandial glucose after oral glucose was linearly related to the 2-hour poεtprandial glucoεe after the teεt bar (r = 0.95; r 2 = 0.90; p < 0.001) . The data εhow that a 2-hour poεtprandial plaεma glucose of > 8.7 mmol/L after the TMB corresponds to a 2-hour poεtprandial plaεma glucoεe of > 11.1 mmol/L after GTT (i.e., diabetes), and that a 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose of < 6.3 mmol/L after the TMB corresponds to < 7.7 mmol/L after GTT (i.e., normal). These results suggest that the test bar will be useful as a valid screening test for diabetes. EXAMPLE 6 Effect of Acarbose on the Postprandial Blood Glucoεe Response to Enεure® and the Solid Teεt Meal Enεure®, a liquid formula diet, has been used as a standard teεt meal in many clinical trials of acarbose in the treatment of diabetes. However, the type of carbohydrate in Ensure® differs markedly from that of a normal diet; εtarch contributes 25-30% of energy in a normal diet, but Enεure® contains no starch. Thus, the pattern of postprandial blood glucose response after Ensure® may differ from that of a normal diet. In addition, acarbose may have a different effect on postprandial blood glucose after consumption of Ensure® than after starchy foods. In order to compare the poεtpradial blood glucoεe reεponse, and the effect of acarboεe thereon, to white bread deεcribed in Example 2, Enεure® and the 98.0- gram solid test meal in the form of a bar ("TMB") as described in Table I, we εtudied 2 groups of normal subjects on separate mornings after an overnight fast. On each day, εubjects ate a teεt meal containing 50 grams of carbohydrate (total carbohydrate minus total dietary fiber) . After-fasting finger-prick blood εamples for glucose analysis were obtained. Additional blood samples were taken at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after the start of the test meal (t 0 = start of test meal consumption) . In one study, 9 subjectε (5 female, 4 male, age 31 ± 2 yearε, BMI 22.9 ± 1.4 kg/m 2 ) teεted white bread, TMB or Ensure®. Compared to white bread, postprandial blood glucoεe after Enεure® tended to be -33- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) higher at 15 minuteε (p = 0.07) and waε significantly lower at 45 (p = 0.003), 60 (p = 0.012) , 90 (p = 0.025) and 120 (p = 0.007) minutes. The incremental area under the curve (AUC) after Ensure®, 83 ± 12 mmol-min/L was 68 ± 8% that of white bread, 125 ± 15 mmol-min/L (p = 007) . Blood glucose after the TMB waε not significantly different from that after white bread at any time point, and the AUC after TMB, 110 ± 16 mmol-min/L, was similar to that after white bread. The mean AUC after Ensure® was 75% that after the TMB. In another study, 6 subjectε (2 female, 4 male, age 34 ± 4y, BMI 23.9 ± 1.4kg/m2) tested Ensure® or TMB with 50 mg acarbose or placebo using a randomized latin square design. The results of this study are εhown in FIGS. 1, 2 , and 3. The mean AUC after Enεure® plus placebo, 88 ± 11 mmol-min/L, was 73% of that after the TMB, 120 ± 16 mmol-min/L. The AUC after Ensure® plus acarbose, 56 ± 18 mmol-min/L, tended to be less than after Ensure® plus placebo, but the difference was not εignificant. The AUC after TMB pluε acarboεe, 78 ± 8 mmol-min/L, waε εignificantly leεε than after TMB plus placebo. Acarbose reduced the AUC after Enεure® by 35 ± 20% (not significant) , and after TMB by 30 ± 11% (p < 0.05). It is concluded the blood glucoεe reεponse of the TMB is more representative of a normal diet than Ensure®. In normal subjects, acarbose reduceε poεtprandial blood glucose to a similar extent after Ensure® and the TMB, but the effect may be more consistent after the TMB. -34- SUBSTΪTUTE SHEET (RULE 26)

Claims: WE CLAIM : 1. A solid oral diagnostic test meal comprising a carbohydrate source that provideε a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate when the meal iε ingeεted by a vertebrate subject. 2. The solid diagnostic test meal of claim 1, wherein the carbohydrate source is a cereal grain selected from the group consisting of barley, oat, wheat, rye, corn, maize, sorghum and millet. 3. The εolid diagnoεtic teεt meal of claim 3, wherein the cereal grain iε oat. 4. The εolid diagnoεtic teεt meal of claim 1 further compriεing sources of dietary fat, dietary protein and, optionally, dietary fiber and flavoring. 5. The solid diagnostic test meal of claim 4, wherein the available carbohydrate is present in an amount in the range of about 50% to about 65% of the energy provided in the meal. 6. The solid diagnostic test meal of claim 4, wherein the dietary fat is present in an amount in the range of about 15% to about 30% of the energy provided in the meal. 7. The solid diagnostic teεt meal of claim 4, wherein the dietary protein is present in an amount in the range of about 10% to about 25% of the energy provided in the meal. -35- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) 8. The solid diagnostic test meal of claim 1, wherein the test meal is provided in the form of a bar. 9. A solid diagnostic test bar comprising: (a) a carbohydrate source that provides a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate in an amount in the range of about 50% to about 65% of the energy provided in the meal, wherein the carbohydrate source iε oat grain; (b) a εource of dietary fat, wherein the dietary fat is present in an amount in the range of about 15% to about 30% of the energy provided in the meal; (c) a source of dietary protein, wherein the dietary protein is present in an amount in the range of about 10% to about 25% of the energy provided in the meal; and, optionally, (d) a εource of dietary fiber. 10. A nutritionally balanced meal compriεing a carbohydrate εource that provideε a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate when the meal is ingested by a vertebrate subject. 11. The nutritionally balanced meal of claim 10, wherein the carbohydrate εource iε a cereal grain selected from the group consisting of barley, oat, wheat, rye, corn, maize, sorghum and millet. 12. The nutritionally balanced meal of claim 11, wherein the cereal grain is oat. 13. The nutritionally balanced meal of claim 10 further compriεing εourceε of dietary fat, -36- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) dietary protein and, optionally, dietary fiber and flavoring. 14. The nutritionally balanced meal of claim 13 , wherein the available carbohydrate is present in an amount in the range of about 50% to about 65% of the energy provided in the meal. 15. The nutritionally balanced meal of claim 13 , wherein the dietary fat is preεent in an amount in the range of about 15% to about 30% of the energy provided in the meal. 16. The nutritionally balanced meal of claim 13 , wherein the dietary protein iε preεent in an amount in the range of about 10% to about 25% of the energy provided in the meal. 17. The nutritionally balanced meal of claim 10, wherein the test meal is provided in the form of a bar. 18. A nutritionally balanced meal comprising: (a) a carbohydrate source that provides a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate in an amount in the range of about 50% to about 65% of the energy provided in the meal, wherein the carbohydrate source is oat grain; (b) a source of dietary fat, wherein the dietary fat is present in an amount in the range of about 15% to about 30% of the energy provided in the meal; (c) a source of dietary protein, wherein the dietary protein is present in an amount in the range of about 10% to about 25% of the energy provided in the meal; and, optionally, -37- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) (d) a source of dietary fiber. 19. A method of diagnosing a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism in a vertebrate subject comprising: (a) providing the solid oral diagnostic test meal of claim 1; (b) orally administering the test meal to the subject; (c) assaying postprandial glucose concentration in a biological sample; and (d) comparing the postprandial glucose concentration in the biological εample with a reference glucoεe concentration. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the biological εample iε blood. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the disorder of carbohydrate metabolism is selected from the group conεiεting of diabetes mellitus, impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resiεtance, non-inεulin dependent diabetes, maturity onset diabeteε, geεtational diabetes and hyperinsulinemia. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the the carbohydrate source in the εolid diagnoεtic teεt meal is a cereal grain selected from the group conεiεting of barley, oat, wheat, rye, corn, maize, εorghum and millet. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the cereal grain is oat. 24. The method of claim 21, wherein the solid diagnostic test meal further comprises sourceε of dietary fat, dietary protein and, optionally, dietary fiber and flavoring. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the available carbohydrate in the εolid diagnostic test meal is present in an amount in the range of about 50% to about 65% of the energy provided in the meal. 26. The method of claim 24, wherein the dietary fat in the εolid diagnoεtic test meal is present in an amount in the range of about 15% to about 30% of the energy provided in the meal. 27. The method of claim 24, wherein the dietary protein in the εolid diagnoεtic teεt meal iε preεent in an amount in the range of about 10% to about 25% of the energy provided in the meal. 28. The method of claim 24, wherein the solid diagnostic teεt meal iε provided in the form of a bar. 29. The method of claim 20, wherein the εolid diagnoεtic test meal compriseε: (a) a carbohydrate εource that provides a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate in an amount in the range of about 50% to about 65% of the energy provided in the meal, wherein the carbohydrate source is oat grain; (b) a source of dietary fat, wherein the dietary fat is present in an amount in the range of about 15% to about 30% of the energy provided in the meal; (c) a source of dietary protein, wherein the dietary protein is preεent in an amount in the range of about 10% to about 25% of the energy provided in the meal; and, optionally, -39- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) (d) a εource of dietary fiber. 30. A method of managing the doεage of a drug that decreases postprandial glucose concentration in a biological sample from a vertebrate subject comprising: (a) providing the solid oral diagnostic test meal of claim 1; (b) orally administering the test meal to the subject; (c) aεεaying postprandial glucose concentration in the biological sample; and (d) repeating steps (a) through (c) after administration of the drug. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the biological sample is blood. 32. The method of claim 31, wherein the the carbohydrate source in the solid diagnostic teεt meal iε a cereal grain selected from the group consisting of barley, oat, wheat, rye, corn, maize, sorghum and millet. 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the cereal grain is oat. 34. The method of claim 31, wherein the solid diagnostic teεt meal further compriεeε sources of dietary fat, dietary protein and, optionally, dietary fiber and flavoring. 35. The method of claim 34, wherein the available carbohydrate in the solid diagnostic test meal is present in an amount in the range of about 50% to about 65% of the energy provided in the meal. -40- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) 36. The method of claim 34, wherein the dietary fat in the solid diagnostic teεt meal iε present in an amount in the range of about 15% to about 30% of the energy provided in the meal. 37. The method of claim 34, wherein the dietary protein in the solid diagnostic test meal is present in an amount in the range of about 10% to about 25% of the energy provided in the meal. 38. The method of claim 34, wherein the solid diagnostic test meal is provided in the form of a bar. 39. The method of claim 31, wherein the solid diagnoεtic teεt meal comprises: (a) a carbohydrate source that provides a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate in an amount in the range of about 50% to about 65% of the energy provided in the meal, wherein the carbohydrate source is oat grain; (b) a source of dietary fat, wherein the dietary fat is present in an amount in the range of about 15% to about 30% of the energy provided in the meal; (c) a εource of dietary protein, wherein the dietary protein is present in an amount in the range of about 10% to about 25% of the energy provided in the meal; and, optionally, (d) a source of dietary fiber. 40. A method of determining a postprandial glucose concentration in a biological sample from a vertebrate subject comprising: (a) providing the εolid oral diagnoεtic test meal of claim 1; -41- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) (b) orally administering the test meal to the subject; and (c) assaying postprandial glucose concentration in a biological sample. 41. The method of claim 40, wherein the biological sample is blood. 42. The method of claim 41, wherein the the carbohydrate source in the solid diagnostic test meal is a cereal grain selected from the group conεiεting of barley, oat, wheat, rye, corn, maize, εorghum and millet. 43. The method of claim 42, wherein the cereal grain is oat. 44. The method of claim 41, wherein the solid diagnostic test meal further compriseε sources of dietary fat, dietary protein and, optionally, dietary fiber and flavoring. 45. The method of claim 44, wherein the available carbohydrate in the solid diagnoεtic teεt meal is present in an amount in the range of about 50% to about 65% of the energy provided in the meal. 46. The method of claim 44, wherein the dietary fat in the solid diagnostic test meal is present in an amount in the range of about 15% to about 30% of the energy provided in the meal. 47. The method of claim 44, wherein the dietary protein in the solid diagnostic test meal is preεent in an amount in the range of about 10% to about 25% of the energy provided in the meal. -42- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) 48. The method of claim 44, wherein the solid diagnostic test meal is provided in the form of a bar. 49. The method of claim 41, wherein the solid diagnostic test meal comprises: (a) a carbohydrate source that provides a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate in an amount in the range of about 50% to about 65% of the energy provided in the meal, wherein the carbohydrate source is oat grain; (b) a source of dietary fat, wherein the dietary fat is present in an amount in the range of about 15% to about 30% of the energy provided in the meal; (c) a εource of dietary protein, wherein the dietary protein iε preεent in an amount in the range of about 10% to about 25% of the energy provided in the meal; and, optionally, (d) a source of dietary fiber. 50. A method of determining a postprandial insulin responεe in a vertebrate εubject compriεing: (a) providing the εolid oral diagnoεtic test meal of claim 1; (b) orally administering the teεt meal to the εubject; and (c) assaying postprandial insulin concentration in a biological sample. 51. The method of claim 50, wherein the biological sample iε blood. 52. The method of claim 51, wherein the the carbohydrate εource in the solid diagnostic test meal is a cereal grain εelected from the group consisting of barley, oat, wheat, rye, corn, maize, sorghum and millet. 53. The method of claim 52, wherein the cereal grain is oat. 54. The method of claim 51, wherein the solid diagnostic test meal further compriseε sources of dietary fat, dietary protein and, optionally, dietary fiber and flavoring. 55. The method of claim 54, wherein the available carbohydrate in the solid diagnoεtic teεt meal iε present in an amount in the range of about 50% to about 65% of the energy provided in the meal. 56. The method of claim 54, wherein the dietary fat in the solid diagnostic test meal iε present in an amount in the range of about 15% to about 30% of the energy provided in the meal. 57. The method of claim 54, wherein the dietary protein in the solid diagnoεtic test meal is present in an amount in the range of about 10% to about 25% of the energy provided in the meal. 58. The method of claim 54, wherein the solid diagnostic test meal iε provided in the form of a bar. 59. The method of claim 51, wherein the εolid diagnoεtic test meal compriseε: (a) a carbohydrate source that provides a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate in an amount in the range of about 50% to about 65% of the energy provided in the meal, wherein the carbohydrate source iε oat grain; -44- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) (b) a source of dietary fat, wherein the dietary fat is present in an amount in the range of about 15% to about 30% of the energy provided in the meal; (c) a source of dietary protein, wherein the dietary protein is present in an amount in the range of about 10% to about 25% of the energy provided in the meal; and, optionally, (d) a source of dietary fiber. 60. A method of diabetes self-diagnosis and self-monitoring in a vertebrate subject comprising: (a) providing the solid oral diagnostic test meal of claim 1; (b) orally adminiεtering the test meal to the subject; and (c) asεaying postprandial glucose levels in a biological sample. 61. The method of claim 60, wherein the biological sample is blood. 62. The method of claim 61, wherein the the carbohydrate source in the solid diagnoεtic teεt meal is a cereal grain selected from the group consiεting of barley, oat, wheat, rye, corn, maize, εorghum and millet. 63. The method of claim 62, wherein the cereal grain iε oat. 64. The method of claim 61, wherein the solid diagnostic test meal further comprises sourceε of dietary fat, dietary protein and, optionally, dietary fiber and flavoring. -45- SUBSTΪTUTE SHEET (RULE 26) 65. The method of claim 64, wherein the available carbohydrate in the solid diagnostic test meal is present in an amount in the range of about 50% to about 65% of the energy provided in the meal. 66. The method of claim 64, wherein the dietary fat in the solid diagnostic test meal is present in an amount in the range of about 15% to about 30% of the energy provided in the meal. 67. The method of claim 64, wherein the dietary protein in the solid diagnoεtic teεt meal iε preεent in an amount in the range of about 10% to about 25% of the energy provided in the meal. 68. The method of claim 64, wherein the εolid diagnoεtic teεt meal is provided in the form of a bar. 69. The method of claim 61, wherein the solid diagnostic test meal comprises: (a) a carbohydrate source that provides a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate in an amount in the range of about 50% to about 65% of the energy provided in the meal, wherein the carbohydrate source is oat grain; (b) a source of dietary fat, wherein the dietary fat is present in an amount in the range of about 15% to about 30% of the energy provided in the meal; (c) a εource of dietary protein, wherein the dietary protein iε preεent in an amount in the range of about 10% to about 25% of the energy provided in the meal; and, optionally, (d) a εource of dietary fiber. -46- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26) 70. A kit for diagnosing disorderε of carbohydrate metaboliεm in a vertebrate subject comprising a solid oral diagnostic test meal comprising a carbohydrate source that provides a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate when the meal iε ingeεted by the vertebrate εubject. 71. A kit for managing the doεage of a drug that decreaεeε poεtprandial glucose concentration in a biological sample from a vertebrate subject comprising a εolid oral diagnoεtic teεt meal compriεing a carbohydrate source that provides a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate when the meal is ingested by the vertebrate subject. 72. A kit for determining postprandial glucose concentration in a biological sample from a vertebrate subject comprising a solid oral diagnostic teεt meal compriεing a carbohydrate εource that provideε a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate when the meal iε ingeεted by the vertebrate subject. 73. A kit for determining a postprandial insulin responεe in a vertebrate εubject compriεing a εolid oral diagnostic test meal comprising a carbohydrate source that provides a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate when the meal is ingested by the vertebrate subject. 74. A kit for diabetes εelf-diagnoεis and self-monitoring in a vertebrate subject comprising a solid oral diagnostic test meal comprising a carbohydrate εource that provideε a medically controlled quantity of available carbohydrate when the meal is ingested by the vertebrate εubject. -47- SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET (RULE 26)

Inventors: PALMASON CAROL, WOLEVER THOMAS M S, PALMASON, CAROL, WOLEVER, THOMAS, M., S.
Applicants: VEXCO HEALTHCARE INC, VEXCO HEALTHCARE INC.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A61K49
IPC codes: A23L1, A61K49