Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an under-appreciated complication of lipid dysmetabolism in type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Although it appears that insulin resistance (IR) is a mechanism common to both, the mechanisms linking IR to unhealthy fat accumulation in liver remains unclear. Pure IR would be expected to disinhibit hepatic glucose production while dampening hepatic triglyceride (TG) biosynthesis, but the excessive hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) of IR-associated NAFLD (IR-NAFLD) suggests that hepatic IR is selective. However, the concept of IR selectivity is controversial, and because of clinical heterogeneity, lead-time discrepancies, co-morbidities, and medication effects, parsing out this pathophysiologic conundrum in humans is challenging. The investigators ultimately plan to test whether the multifactorial IR in patients with NAFLD is selective by determining if inducing a discrete, pure form of IR, via pharmacologic inhibition of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) with alpelisib, attenuates excessive DNL. However, because of the potential toxicities of alpelisib, the investigators first must test whether they can induce IR with a single dose. In order to ensure participants' safety, the investigators propose herein to perform a randomized, placebo-controlled, pilot & feasibility study of a single dose of alpelisib in healthy volunteers. Following a baseline blood draw on Day 1, participants will be fitted with a continuous glucose monitor. Once lab test results are confirmed as non-exclusionary, randomized participants will be instructed on Day 3 to consume their calculated total daily caloric needs in the form of a nutritional beverage, divided evenly over three meals, and otherwise will fast. On the evening of Day 3, participants will ingest a single dose either of placebo or alpelisib. The following morning (Day 4), about 10 hours later, blood will be drawn to check fasting levels of glucose, insulin, and certain lipid/lipoprotein parameters; the continuous glucose monitor will be removed at that point. Participants will then undergo an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) during which investigators will measure glucose, insulin, and lipid (triglycerides, free fatty acids) levels. If the investigators are able to determine reliable induction after a single dose of alpelisib, they will be able to move on to test its effect on volunteers with IR-NAFLD.
The goal of this clinical trial is to test a single dose of the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor alpelisib versus placebo in healthy volunteers. The main questions it aims to answer are the impact of acute alpelisib-induced insulin resistance on parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism (how healthy people respond to temporary insulin resistance so that the investigators can see what happens to how the liver handles fat and sugar).~Participants will:~Consume their total calculated daily caloric needs in nutritional supplements, divided in three meals, and otherwise fast for 24 hours~Take a dose of alpelisib 300 mg or placebo at bedtime~Wear a continuous glucose monitor for 72 hours~Participate in an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)~Researchers will compare blood tests before and during OGTT in participants randomized (like the flip of a coin) to alpelisib versus placebo to see how the drug treatment affects plasma glucose, serum insulin, and serum lipid parameters (triglycerides, free fatty acids, and apolipoprotein B).