| Summary: | The main osmotic agent found in the peritoneal dialysis (PD) solution is glucose. It has been of a wide use for great crystalloid osmotic power at a low concentration, simple metabolism, and excellent safety. On the other hand, anywhere between 60 to 80% of the glucose in the PD solution is absorbed - a 100 to 300 mg of daily glucose absorption. Once into the systemic circulation, glucose can be a cause for metabolic complications including obesity. Indeed, the diabetiform change observed in the peritoneal membrane in the long-term PD patients is believed attributable to the high-concentration glucose in the PD solution. The glucose absorbed from peritoneal cavity raises the risk of ‘glucose toxicity’, leading to insulin resistance and beta cell failure. Clinical similarity can be found in postprandial hyperglycemia, which is known to be associated with oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, NF-κb, and inflammation, affecting myocardial blood flow. Moreover, it is a proven independent risk factor of coronary artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes, particularly of female gender. Though speculative yet, glucose toxicity might explain a higher mortality of PD patients after the first year compared with those on hemodialysis (more so in female, advanced-age patients with diabetes). Also included in the picture are glucose degradation products (GDPs) generated along the course of heat sterilization or storage of the PD solution. They have been shown to induce apoptosis of peritoneal mesothelial cells, renal tubular epithelial cells, and endothelial cells, while spurring production of TGF-β and VEGF and facilitating epithelial mesenchymal transition. GDPs provide a stronger reactivity than glucose in the formation of AGEs, a known cause for microvascular complications and arteriosclerosis. Unfortunately, clinical studies using a low-GDP PD solution have provided mixed results on the residual renal function, peritonitis, peritoneal membrane function, and mortality, and consistent outcome data are hardly available at present.
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