Abstract: This invention provides a method for measuring glucose metabolism ability of a subject and a composition that is suitably used in the method. The method for measuring glucose metabolism ability of the present invention is as follows: a method for measuring glucose metabolism ability of a subject, using a composition for measuring glucose metabolism ability, the composition comprising, as an active ingredient, glucose labeled with at least one isotope of C, wherein the glucose is converted in the body into labeled carbon dioxide that is excreted in expired air, the method comprising steps (a) and (b) below: (a) administering the composition to the subject and collecting expired air; and (b) determining the ratio of labeled CO2 amount to unlabeled CO2 amount or the ratio of labeled CO2 amount to total CO2 amount.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for measuring insulin resistance of a test subject, and a composition suitably used for the method. A method for measuring insulin resistance of a test act comprising steps (a) and (b) below, the method using a composition for measuring insulin resistance comprising, as an active ingredient, a C12-38 fatty acid labeled with at least one isotope of C, wherein the C12-38 fatty acid is converted in the body into labeled carbon dioxide that is excreted in expired air, (a) intravenously administering the composition to a test subject and collecting expired air; and (b) determining the ratio of labeled CO2 amount to unlabeled CO2 amount contained in the expired air or the ratio of labeled CO2 amount to total CO2 amount contained in the expired air.

Abstract: A method for measuring energy malnutrition in a liver disease test subject, a method for determining whether a liver disease test subject is in an energy malnutrition state, a method for determining the necessity of nutrition therapy for a liver disease test subject having energy malnutrition, a composition usable in these methods, and the like are provided. The method for measuring energy malnutrition in a liver disease test subject includes the steps of collecting expired air containing labeled carbon dioxide that is generated in the body of a liver disease test subject by being converted from a composition containing, as an active ingredient, glucose labeled with at least one isotope C; and determining the ratio of labeled CO2 amount to unlabeled CO2 amount, or the ratio of labeled CO2 amount to total CO2 amount in expired air.

Abstract: A method is provided for measuring and evaluating rapidly and with high accuracy a subject's glucose metabolism. The method uses a labeled C-breath test and a composition that is suitably used in the method. The composition contains as active ingredient glucose labeled with at least one isotope of C, wherein the glucose is converted in the subject to labeled carbon dioxide that is excreted in expired air. This method also allows for the determination of a stage of a patient in whom diabetes has developed as well as for a stage before the onset of diabetes, and monitors the state (diabetes condition including a state before onset of diabetes) over time.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for measuring the gastric acidity of a mammal using a 13C-labeled carbonate compound. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method for measuring the gastric acidity of a mammal including the following steps: (1) using, as a test sample, expired air of a mammalian subject excreted at any point in time within 30 minutes after oral administration of a predetermined amount of a 13C-labeled carbonate compound, measuring behavior of 13CO2 in the expired air; (2) comparing the behavior of 13CO2 (measured 13CO2 behavior) obtained in step (1) with the behavior of corresponding 13CO2 (reference 13CO2 behavior) that has been obtained beforehand in a control mammal; and (3) determining the gastric acidity of the mammalian subject based on a difference between the reference 13CO2 behavior and the measured 13CO2 behavior obtained above.

Abstract: A method for measuring energy malnutrition in a liver disease test subject, a method for determining whether a liver disease test subject is in an energy malnutrition state, a method for determining the necessity of nutrition therapy for a liver disease test subject having energy malnutrition, a composition usable in these methods, and the like are provided. The method for measuring energy malnutrition in a liver disease test subject includes the steps of collecting expired air containing labeled carbon dioxide that is generated in the body of a liver disease test subject by being converted from a composition containing, as an active ingredient, glucose labeled with at least one isotope C; and determining the ratio of labeled CO2 amount to unlabeled CO2 amount, or the ratio of labeled CO2 amount to total CO2 amount in expired air.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for measuring insulin resistance of a test subject, and a composition suitably used for the method. A method for measuring insulin resistance of a test act comprising steps (a) and (b) below, the method using a composition for measuring insulin resistance comprising, as an active ingredient, a C12-38 fatty acid labeled with at least one isotope of C, wherein the C12-38 fatty acid is converted in the body into labeled carbon dioxide that is excreted in expired air, (a) intravenously administering the composition to a test subject and collecting expired air; and (b) determining the ratio of labeled CO2 amount to unlabeled CO2 amount contained in the expired air or the ratio of labeled CO2 amount to total CO2 amount contained in the expired air.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for measuring glucose metabolism ability of a subject and a composition that is suitably used in the method. The method for measuring glucose metabolism ability of the present invention is as follows: a method for measuring glucose metabolism ability of a subject, using a composition for measuring glucose metabolism ability, the composition comprising, as an active ingredient, glucose labeled with at least one isotope of C, wherein the glucose is converted in the body into labeled carbon dioxide that is excreted in expired air, the method comprising steps (a) and (b) below: (a) administering the composition to the subject and collecting expired air; and (b) determining the ratio of labeled CO2 amount to unlabeled CO2 amount or the ratio of labeled CO2 amount to total CO2 amount.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for measuring the gastric acidity of a mammal using a 13C-labeled carbonate compound. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method for measuring the gastric acidity of a mammal including the following steps: (1) using, as a test sample, expired air of a mammalian subject excreted at any point in time within 30 minutes after oral administration of a predetermined amount of a 13C-labeled carbonate compound, measuring behavior of 13CO2 in the expired air; (2) comparing the behavior of 13CO2 (measured 13CO2 behavior) obtained in step (1) with the behavior of corresponding 13CO2 (reference 13CO2 behavior) that has been obtained beforehand in a control mammal; and (3) determining the gastric acidity of the mammalian subject based on a difference between the reference 13CO2 behavior and the measured 13CO2 behavior obtained above.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition for measuring the gastric-emptying function and a method for measuring the gastric-emptying function effectively usable in diagnosing dyspepsia. The present invention also provides a dyspepsia diagnostic agent, a method for diagnosing dyspepsia, and a method for measuring the treatment effect on a patient suffering from gastrointestinal disorders caused by insufficiencies in the gastric-emptying function (including a pharmacotherapy). One of the main features of the composition for measuring the gastric-emptying function of the present invention is that a pyrimidine compound, which is converted to a labeled CO2 gas in the body and excreted in expired air, labeled with an isotope of C or O, is used as an active ingredient. The method of the present invention can be conducted by orally administering the composition to a subject, and measuring the amount or behavior of the labeled CO2 excreted in expired air.