An interactive quantitative temporal physiological model of glucose passage and absorption through the gastrointestinal tract and subsequent modulation of insulin and glucagon secretion in humans

Abstract

An interactive quantitative temporal model of glucose intake, absorption and utilization in humans has been assembled using the Center for Research and Education in Aging Language (CREAL). CREAL is a language that can be used to describe biological systems from a macro to a molecular scale. This model displays the concentration of glucose throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in relation to time. The rate of absorption of glucose through the intestinal walls and subsequent modulation of insulin and glucagon secretion rates can be graphed in relation to time as well as the utilization and depletion of glucose by the various organ systems. The model can also be utilized as part of a more comprehensive system that can simulate the intake, absorption and utilization of other compounds, such as lipids, proteins, minerals and carbohydrates. The quantitative results from these large scale simulations can be used to validate results from higher resolution simulations such as those that take place at the cellular scale.