BackgroundTo determine the relation between daily glycemic fluturation and the intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsTotally 66 patients with T2DM were enrolled, 33 healthy volunteers were also recruited according to the enrolled patients' gender and age in a ratio of 2: 1. Patients were bisected by the median of endotoxins level into low(<12.31/l, n=33) and high(12.31/l, n=33) blood endotoxin groups. Clinical data and blood glucose fluctuations were compared between groups. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the independent factors affecting the intestinal mucosal barrier.ResultsSerum endotoxin [12.1 (4.222.0) vs 3.2 (1.36.0), P<0.001] and fasting blood glucose levels [9.83.6 vs 5.4 +/- 0.7, P<0.001] were significantly higher in patients with T2DM than the control group. The standard deviation of blood glucose (SDBG) within 1day [2.9 (2.03.3) vs. 2.1 (1.62.5), P=0.012] and the largest amplitude of glycemic excursions (LAGE) [7.5 (5.48.9) vs. 5.9 (4.37.4), P=0.034] were higher in the high endotoxin group than in the low endotoxin group. A multiple linear stepwise regression revealed a positive correlation between SDBG with endotoxin (standard partial regression coefficient=0.255, P=0.039).Conclusions T2DM patients who incapable of maintaining stable blood glucose level are at a higher risk to associated with intestinal mucosal barrier injury.