Influence of phenformin on fat and lactate metabolism and insulin production in starved normal subjects

Abstract

In starved but not in fed, normal subjects, phenformin increases the level of plasma FFA and β-hydroxybutyrate and augments the plasma triglyceride increase that occurs during starvation. These findings suggest that phenformin increases the release and degradation of fatty acids in starved subjects. Arterial blood lactate levels were increased by phenformin in fed subjects. In starved persons phenformin inhibited the fall in blood lactate values induced by i.v. glucose administration. Neither in fed nor in starved, normal subjects, did phenformin decrease the insulin response to i.v. glucose administration. A higher insulin response was found in the phenformintreated, starved subjects than in the controls.