Conditions: Insulin Resistance
Keywords: Glucose Metabolism Disorders Insulin Resistance Endocrine System Vitamin D
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 19
Healthy volunteers: yes

Brief summary:
The purpose of this research is to study the effects of Vitamin D supplementation on the body's response to insulin (a hormone that controls blood sugar), on inflammation, and on specific cells and processes in fat tissue.

Detailed description:
Over the last several years, studies have shown that low vitamin D levels may increase risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. The investigators will administer vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) to non-diabetic, insulin resistant subjects with vitamin D deficiency (total vitamin D levels \<20 ng/ml) to increase the level of vitamin D3. The investigators will study the effects of increased Vitamin D on insulin action, adipose tissue inflammation, and on certain cells and processes in fat tissue.

Investigators will study participants with a procedure called a "pancreatic clamp" study. During the clamp procedure, glucose (a sugar) and insulin (a hormone produced in the pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood) are infused with an intravenous catheter, and blood samples are collected periodically throughout the procedure to measure blood sugar levels and the levels of several hormones that are found in the body and are related to glucose metabolism. Adipose tissue inflammation will be measured using the following inflammatory markers: IL-6, PAI-1, TNF-alpha, and iNOS.

Arms:
arm 1: Participants received weekly oral vitamin D drops using a weight-based calculated dosage for up to six months. arm 2: Participants received weekly oral placebo drops (similar in taste and appearance to vitamin D) for up to six months.

Interventions: intervention 1: Vitamin D intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: None intervention 2: None

Protocol document: