Aims/hypothesis. This study sought first to compare the pharmacodynamics and pharmocokinetics of two rapid-onset, rapidly-reversible insulinotropic agents, nateglinide and repaglinide, in pre-diabetic Cynomolgus monkeys and second to use these agents to assess the metabolic effects of early insulin secretion on prandial glucose control. Methods. First, equipotent doses of nateglinide (20 mg/kg) and repaglinide (0.1 mg/kg) or vehicle were given intragastrically to overnight-fasted ketamine-anesthetized pre-diabetic Cynomolgus monkeys and samples were obtained for measurement of plasma glucose, insulin, glucagon, NEFA and drug concentrations. Second, nateglinide, repaglinide or vehicle were administered 10 min before a glucosesupplemented liquid meal and prandial glucose and insulin profiles were compared. Results. Although oral administration of nateglinide and repaglinide elicited similar maximum increments of plasma insulin (+403 and +448 pmol/l, respectively), the effects of nateglinide were more rapidly manifest and less prolonged. With nateglinide, insulin increased within 10 min and returned to baseline within 50 min. After repaglinide, the first increase occurred at 30 min and insulin concentrations remained increased for 3.5 h post-dose. When given 10 min before a meal, nateglinide increased early, but not total insulin release (AUC 0-210 =108 vs 150 nmol/l min for nateglinide and vehicle, respectively) and reduced prandial glucose excursions by 78%. Repaglinide increased total insulin release (AUC 0-210 =298 nmol/l min) and reduced glucose excursions by 53%. Conclusion/interpretation. Nateglinide is more rapidacting and rapidly-reversible than is repaglinide. By restoring a more physiologic insulin profile, nateglinide is more effective than repaglinide in controlling prandial glucose excursions with less hyperinsulinaemia. It has been shown convincingly that in Type 2 (noninsulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus [1,2] and even in precursors thereof [3] the kinetics of insulin secretion are disrupted despite the existence of absolute (if not relative) hyperinsulinaemia. The disrupted insulin secretory kinetics can be confirmed by either the absence of the acute insulin response to i.v. glucose [4] or a sluggish insulin response to oral glucose [5] or a meal [6]. The impaired early insulin response leads to a marked impairment of the suppression of endogenous glucose production normally seen after glucose administration or a meal [5,6] and to a lesser extent, a later decrease of peripheral glucose utilization [6].

A combination of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the water companies being more in the public eye since privatization seems to have heightened public awareness and sensitivities to unpleasant odours emanating from sewage‐treatment works. The incorporation of odour‐control measures is therefore increasingly becoming a condition of planning consent. The selection of the correct odour‐control system for each application is of paramount importance, and the two principal criteria are that (i) it should be effective in its performance, and (ii) it should be cost effective to install and operate. This paper does not explore the advantages and disadvantages of the various types of odour‐control system, but concentrates on the case study of one particular application where these criteria have been met by using multi‐stage chemical scrubbing. The source and nature of the odours, containment, ventilation, treatment and performance are described, concluding in an assessment of ‘cost of ownership’.