Insulin-mediated Glucose Disposal Rate Research Articles

Is calorie restriction beneficial for normal-weight individuals? A narrative review of the effects of weight loss in the presence and absence of obesity.

Calorie restriction regimens are popular for their purported health-promoting effects. However, it is unclear whether chronic reduction in energy intake and subsequent weight loss have beneficial effects in the absence of obesity. To this end, the results of studies that examined the effects of the same diet-induced weight loss in individuals with and without obesity were reviewed. The contribution of lean mass to the total amount of weight lost is greater in participants without obesity than in those with obesity, but the reductions in resting, nonresting, and total energy expenditure are of similar magnitude. Both in the presence as well as in the absence of obesity, weight loss decreases visceral adipose tissue and liver fat, increases insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle (insulin-mediated whole-body glucose disposal rate) and in adipose tissue (meal-induced or insulin-induced suppression of plasma free fatty acid concentration), and augments insulin clearance rate, without affecting pancreatic insulin secretion. These effects are of similar magnitude in participants with and without obesity and result in reductions in fasting plasma glucose and insulin concentrations. These data suggest that the same degree of calorie restriction and the same amount of weight loss have multiple beneficial effects on health outcomes in individuals without obesity, similar to those observed in individuals with obesity.

Insulin-mediated muscle microvascular perfusion and its phenotypic predictors in humans

Insulin increases muscle microvascular perfusion and enhances tissue insulin and nutrient delivery. Our aim was to determine phenotypic traits that foretell human muscle microvascular insulin responses. Hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamps were performed in 97 adult humans who were lean and healthy, had class 1 obesity without comorbidities, or controlled type 1 diabetes without complications. Insulin-mediated whole-body glucose disposal rates (M-value) and insulin-induced changes in muscle microvascular blood volume (ΔMBV) were determined. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine bivariate and multivariate relationships between outcomes, ΔMBV and M-value, and predictor variables, body mass index (BMI), total body weight (WT), percent body fat (BF), lean body mass, blood pressure, maximum consumption of oxygen (VO2max), plasma LDL (LDL-C) and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), and fasting insulin (INS) levels. Among all factors, only M-value (r = 0.23, p = 0.02) and VO2max (r = 0.20, p = 0.047) correlated with ΔMBV. Conversely, INS (r = − 0.48, p ≤ 0.0001), BF (r = − 0.54, p ≤ 0.001), VO2max (r = 0.5, p ≤ 0.001), BMI (r = − 0.40, p < 0.001), WT (r = − 0.33, p = 0.001), LDL-C (r = − 0.26, p = 0.009), TG (r = − 0.25, p = 0.012) correlated with M-value. While both ΔMBV (p = 0.045) and TG (p = 0.03) provided significant predictive information about M-value in the multivariate regression model, only M-value was uniquely predictive of ΔMBV (p = 0.045). Thus, both M-value and VO2max correlated with ΔMBV but only M-value provided unique predictive information about ΔMBV. This suggests that metabolic and microvascular insulin responses are important predictors of one another, but most metabolic insulin resistance predictors do not predict microvascular insulin responses.

Improvement in insulin sensitivity following intensive insulin therapy and association of glucagon with long-term diabetes remission.

ObjectiveTo investigate the role of the acute glucagon response in the long-term remission of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus following short-term intensive insulin therapy (IIT).MethodsTen patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus received IIT. Intravenous glucose tolerance tests and the clamp technique were performed pre- and post-IIT. Remission was defined as maintenance of target glycaemic control without anti-diabetic agents for 1 year.ResultsThe remission rate was 50% (5/10). There were no differences in the acute insulin response or glucose infusion rate between groups. The acute glucagon response (AGR) in the remission group pre-IIT was significantly higher than that in the non-remission group (mean 163.02 pg/mL/min vs. mean 16.29 pg/mL/min). The mean AGR post-IIT was lower in the remission group than that in the non-remission group (0 pg/mL/min vs. 19.91 pg/mL/min). Spearman analysis indicated that the AGR pre-IIT and the change in the AGR were correlated with remission (r = 0.731).ConclusionThe insulin-mediated glucose disposal rate was significantly improved with the normalization of blood glucose levels following transient IIT. Subjects with a higher AGR pre-IIT and a greater AGR decrease post-IIT displayed a greater likelihood of long-term remission.

Acute enzymatic glycocalyx degradation results in reduced insulin sensitivity but normal glucose tolerance in conscious rats

Perturbation of the endothelial glycocalyx has been suggested to be an early event in the development of endothelial dysfunction during increased cardiovascular risk exposure. Previously, we showed in anesthetized rats that acute enzymatic degradation of the endothelial glycocalyx was associated with impaired insulin-mediated glucose disposal, suggesting a role of the glycocalyx in regulation of glucose homeostasis. In the current study, we tested the acute effect of enzymatic glycocalyx treatment on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in conscious rats. In rats that had had their femoral artery and vein cannulated 1 week before the experiment, intravenous glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed before and after acute degradation of the endothelial glycocalyx using an intravenous bolus of hyaluronidase. During the intravenous glucose tolerance test, glucose tolerance did not differ between the hyaluronidase-treated and control animals, but was associated with a 1.5-fold higher plasma insulin level in the former group. Further, glycocalyx treatment significantly decreased insulin-mediated glucose disposal during intravenous insulin tolerance tests, as observed from the reduced insulin-mediated glucose disposal rate from 3.3±0.1%/min in control rats to 2.6±0.2%/min in the hyaluronidase-treated rats. These results support a role for the endothelial glycocalyx in the regulation of peripheral insulin sensitivity. The reduction in insulin sensitivity during acute glycocalyx damage, however, does not have an immediate effect on glucose tolerance because of a compensatory increase in plasma insulin levels.

Familial longevity is marked by enhanced insulin sensitivity

Insulin resistance is a risk factor for various age-related diseases. In the Leiden Longevity study, we recruited long-lived siblings and their offspring. Previously, we showed that, compared to controls, the offspring of long-lived siblings had a better glucose tolerance. Here, we compared groups of offspring from long-lived siblings and controls for the relation between insulin and glucose in nonfasted serum (n = 1848 subjects) and for quantitation of insulin action using a two-step hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (n = 24 subjects). Groups of offspring and controls were similar with regard to sex distribution, age, and body mass index. We observed a positive bi-phasic linear relationship between ln (insulin) levels and nonfasted glucose with a steeper slope from 10.7mU L(-1) insulin onwards in controls compared to offspring (P = 0.02). During the clamp study, higher glucose infusion rate was required to maintain euglycemia during high-dose insulin infusion (P = 0.036) in offspring, reflecting higher whole-body insulin sensitivity. After adjustment for sex, age, and fat mass, the insulin-mediated glucose disposal rate (GDR) was higher in offspring than controls (42.5 ± 2.7 vs. 33.2 ± 2.7 micromol kg(-1) min(-1) , mean ± SE, P = 0.025). The insulin-mediated suppression of endogenous glucose production and lipolysis did not differ between groups (all P > 0.05). Furthermore, GDR was significantly correlated with the mean age of death of the parents. In conclusion, offspring from long-lived siblings are marked by enhanced peripheral glucose disposal. Future research will focus on identifying the underlying biomolecular mechanisms, with the aim to promote health in old age.

PCLO Variants Are Nominally Associated With Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin Resistance in Pima Indians

OBJECTIVE—A prior genome-wide association (GWA) study in Pima Indians identified variants within PCLO that were associated with early-onset type 2 diabetes. PCLO encodes a presynaptic cytomatrix protein that functions as a Ca2+ sensor that may be involved in insulin secretion and/or insulin action. Therefore, PCLO was analyzed as a candidate gene for type 2 diabetes.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Sequencing of PCLO identified four nonsynonymous variants and a 10–amino acid insertion. These variants, together with 100 additional variants identified by sequencing or chosen from databases, were genotyped for association analysis in the same 895 subjects analyzed in the prior GWA study (300 case subjects with diabetes onset at aged <25 years, 334 nondiabetic control subjects aged >45 years, and 261 discordant siblings of the case or control subjects for within-family analyses), as well as 415 nondiabetic Pima Indians who had been metabolically phenotyped for predictors of diabetes. Selected variants were further genotyped in a population-based sample of 3,501 Pima Indians.RESULTS—Four variants were modestly associated with early-onset type 2 diabetes in both general and within-family analyses (P = 0.004–0.04, recessive model), where the diabetes risk allele was also nominally associated with a lower insulin-mediated glucose disposal rate (P = 0.009–0.14, recessive model) in nondiabetic Pima Indians. However, their association with diabetes in the population-based sample was weaker (P = 0.02–0.20, recessive model).CONCLUSIONS—Variation within PCLO may have a modest effect on early-onset type 2 diabetes, possibly as a result of reduced insulin action, but has minimal, if any, impact on population-based risk for type 2 diabetes.

Variants in ARHGEF11, a Candidate Gene for the Linkage to Type 2 Diabetes on Chromosome 1q, Are Nominally Associated With Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes in Pima Indians

A prior genome-wide linkage scan in Pima Indians indicated a young-onset (aged <45 years) type 2 diabetes susceptibility locus on chromosome 1q21-q23. ARHGEF11, which encodes the Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 11, was analyzed as a positional candidate gene for this linkage because this protein may stimulate Rho-dependent signals, such as the insulin signaling cascade. The ARHGEF11 gene, and two adjacent genes NTRK1 and INSRR, were sequenced in 24 Pima Indians who were not first-degree relatives. Sequencing of the coding regions, 5' and 3' untranslated regions and putative promoter regions of these genes, identified 28 variants in ARHGEF11, 11 variants in NTRK1, and 8 variants in INSSR. These 47 variants, as well as 84 additional public database variants within/between these genes, were genotyped for association analysis in the same group of Pima Indians who had participated in the linkage study (n = 1,228). An R1467H in ARHGEF11, and several additional noncoding variants that were in high linkage disequilibrium with this variant, were nominally associated with young-onset type 2 diabetes (P = 0.01; odds ratio 3.39) after adjusting for sex, family membership, and Pima heritage. The risk allele H had a frequency of 0.10. In a subgroup of 262 nondiabetic, full-heritage Pima Indians who had undergone detailed metabolic testing, the risk allele H also was associated with a lower mean insulin-mediated glucose disposal rate and a lower mean nonoxidative glucose storage rate after adjusting for age, sex, nuclear family membership, and percentage of body fat (P < or = 0.01). These findings suggest that variation within ARHGEF11 nominally increases risk of type 2 diabetes, possibly as a result of increased insulin resistance.

Effects of Multiple Daily Insulin Injections on Peripheral Glucose Disposal in Latin Americans with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of insulin in multiple daily injections (MDI) on peripheral glucose disposal in Latin American patients with type 2 diabetes.Methods and ResultsTen Latin American patients (four men...

Usefulness of Insulin Sensitivity Indexes derived from Oral Glucose Tolerance Test in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

- Abstract Background: Insulin resistance is prevalent in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and it makes them to have high risk for development of type 2 diabetes. Evaluation of insulin sensitivity would be important to predict their risks. Although the euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp technique is the gold standard for measuring insulin sensitivity, it is too hard to practice in large epidemiologic studies. The aim of this study is to verify the validity of various insulin sensitivity indexes f rom oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in women with PCOS. Methods: We performed euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp (target glucose; 90 mg/dL, insulin ;~1 mU/kg․min) to obtain insulin-mediated glucose disposal rate (M-value) in 62 non-diabetic women with PCOS (BMI < 23 kg/m 2 ; n = 37, BMI ≥ 23 kg/m 2 ; n = 25). Homeostasis model assessment [HOMA(IR)], quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), glucose to insulin ratio (G/I ratio), whole body insu lin sensitivity index [ISI (COMP)], metabolic clearance rate of glucose [MCRest-OGTT 1,2 ], and insulin sensitivity indexes [ISIest-OGTT 1,2 ] were calculated from plasma glucose and insulin levels from standard 75-g OGTT. The correlations of various insulin sensitivity indexes f rom OGTT with M-value were evaluated. Results: In lean women with PCOS (BMI < 23 kg/m 2 , n = 37), ISI(COMP) (r = 0.36, P < 0.05), MCRest-OGTT 1 (r = 0.49, P < 0.01), ISIest-OGTT 1 (r = 0.50, P < 0.01), MCRest-OGTT 2 (r = 0.45, P < 0.01) and ISIest-OGTT 2 (r = 0.40, P < 0.05) were significantly correlated with M-value. In overweight and obese women with PCOS (BMI ≥ 23 kg/m 2 , n = 25), HOMA(IR) (r = -0.40, P < 0.05), QUICKI (r = 0.40, P < 0.05), MCRest-OGTT 1 (r = 0.76, P < 0.001), ISI est-OGTT 1 (r = 0.63, P < 0.001), MCRest-OGTT 2

Serum adiponectin concentration in relation to body fat distribution and tissue insulin sensitivity in the glucose clamp study

To study serum adiponectin level in relation to body fat distribution and tissue insulin sensitivity by using the extended hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp technique. Extended hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp was performed in 44 Chinese individuals with normal glucose tolerance from Shanghai area, including 12 subjects with normal weight [body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m(2)], 19 with overweight (25 kg/m(2) < or = BMI < 30 kg/m(2)), and 13 with obesity (BMI > or = 30 kg/m(2)). The rate of insulin-mediated glucose disposal (Rd) during the steady state of glucose clamp was used to assess the peripheral tissue insulin sensitivity. Total body fat depots [BMI, percentage of body fat (FAT%), and body fat mass (FM)], regional body fat depots [waist circumference (W), hip circumference (H), W and H ratio (WHR), abdominal subcutaneous fat area (SA), intra-abdominal fat area (VA), and femoral subcutaneous fat area (FA)] were measured on all subjects. Fasting serum adiponectin level was determined by radioimmunoassay. (1) After the adjustment for age and sex, the serum adiponectin concentrations in the overweight and obesity groups were (8.7 +/- 4.8) mg/L and (6.7 +/- 0.8) mg/L, both significantly lower than that in the normal weight group [(15.7 +/- 1.8) mg/L, both P < 0.01]. (2) Serum adiponectin concentration was negatively correlated with BMI, W, WHR, FAT%, FM and VA, especially with W and VA (r = -0.46, P < 0.01, and r = -0.53, P < 0.01). (3) Serum adiponectin concentration was positively correlated with Rd (r = 0.52, P < 0.01) and the rate of glycogen synthesis (r = 0.36, P < 0.05), and was negatively correlated with free fatty acid level (r = -0.41, P < 0.05). (4) Stepwise regression analysis indicated that in addition to sex, BMI, WHR or VA and SA, serum adiponectin level was also the independent contributing factor for Rd, which explains 3.52% and 4.84% of the variance respectively (P all < 0.05). (1) The decrease in serum adiponectin level is associated with the increase of total body fat depot, especially the increase of total body fat depot in intra-abdominal fat area. (2) Serum adiponectin level is an independent contributing factor for insulin sensitivity.

Short‐term effects of repetitive arm work and dynamic exercise on glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity

To determine whether repetitive arm work, with a large component of static muscle contraction alters glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Euglycemic clamps (2 h) were started in ten healthy individuals 15 min after 37 min periods of: (1) repetitive arm work in a simulated occupational setting; (2) dynamic concentric exercise on a cycle ergometer at 60% of VO(2max) and (3) a resting regime as a control. During the experimental periods, blood samples were collected, blood pressure was measured repeatedly and electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded continuously. During the clamps, euglycemia was maintained at 5 mmol l(-1) and insulin was infused at 56 mU m(-2) min(-1) for 120 min. The insulin-mediated glucose disposal rate (M-value) for the steady-state period (60-120 min) of the clamp, tended to be lower following arm work than for both cycling and resting regimes. When dividing the steady-state period into 20-min intervals, the insulin sensitivity index (ISI) was significantly lower for arm work compared with the resting control situation between 60-80 min (P = 0.04) and 80-100 min (P = 0.01), respectively. Catecholamines increased significantly for arm work and cycling compared with resting regime. Data from heart rate variability (HRV) measurements indicated significant sympathetic activation during repetitive arm work. The results indicate that repetitive arm work might acutely promote insulin resistance, whereas no such effect on insulin resistance was produced by dynamic concentric exercise.

The metabolic effects of lopinavir/ritonavir in HIV-negative men.

Therapy with HIV protease inhibitors (PI) has been shown to worsen glucose and lipid metabolism, but whether these changes are caused by direct drug effects, changes in disease status, or body composition is unclear. Therefore, we tested the effects of the PI combination lopinavir and ritonavir on glucose and lipid metabolism in HIV-negative subjects. A dose of 400 mg lopinavir/100 mg ritonavir was given twice a day to 10 HIV-negative men. Fasting glucose and insulin, lipid and lipoprotein profiles, oral glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp, and body composition were determined before and after lopinavir/ritonavir treatment for 4 weeks. On lopinavir/ritonavir, there was an increase in fasting triglyceride (0.89 +/- 0.15 versus 1.63 +/- 0.36 mmol/l; P = 0.007), free fatty acid (FFA; 0.33 +/- 0.04 versus 0.43 +/- 0.06 mmol/l; P = 0.001), and VLDL cholesterol (15.1 +/- 2.6 versus 20 +/- 3.3 mg/dl; P = 0.05) levels. There were no changes in fasting LDL, HDL, IDL, lipoprotein (a), or total cholesterol levels. Fasting glucose, insulin, and insulin-mediated glucose disposal were unchanged, but on a 2 h oral glucose tolerance test glucose and insulin increased. There were no changes in weight, body fat, or abdominal adipose tissue by computed tomography. Treatment with 4 weeks of lopinavir/ritonavir in HIV-negative men causes an increase in triglyceride levels, VLDL cholesterol, and FFA levels. Lopinavir/ritonavir leads to a deterioration in glucose tolerance at 2 h, but there is no significant change in insulin-mediated glucose disposal rate by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha and insulin resistance in obese type 2 diabetic patients.

The relationship between basal serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) levels and peripheral tissue (muscle) sensitivity to insulin was examined in 63 subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), 18 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and 123 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The BMI was similar in NGT (28.8+/-0.7 kg/m(2)), IGT (31.1+/-1.0), and T2DM (30.0+/-0.4) groups. The fasting serum TNFalpha concentration in T2DM (4.4+/-0.2 pg/ml) was significantly higher than in NGT (3.1+/-0.2) and IGT (3.4+/-0.2; both P<0.05). In T2DM the fasting plasma glucose (FPG=183+/-5 mg/dl) and insulin (FPI=17+/-1 micro U/ml) concentrations were significantly higher than in NGT (FPG=95+/-1; FPI=10+/-1) and IGT (FPG=100+/-2; FPI=13+/-1; all P<0.01). The rate of total body insulin-mediated glucose disposal (Rd; 40 mU/m(2) min euglycemic insulin clamp in combination with (3)H-glucose) was reduced in T2DM (102+/-3 mg/m(2) min) compared with NGT (177+/-10) and IGT (151+/-14; both P<0.01). The serum TNFalpha concentration was inversely correlated with Rd (r=-0.47, P<0.0001) and positively correlated with both FPG (r=0.32, P=0.004) and FPI (r=0.32, P=0.004) in NGT plus IGT. No correlation was observed between serum TNFalpha and Rd (r=-0.02), FPG (r=0.15), or FPI (r=0.15) in T2DM. In stepwise multiple regression analysis using age, sex, BMI, FPG, FPI and serum TNFalpha concentration as independent variables, only BMI and serum TNFalpha concentration were significant and independent predictors of Rd (r(2)=0.29, P<0.0001) in the NGT plus IGT group, while FPG and FPI were significant and independent predictors of Rd (r(2)=0.13, P<0.0001) in T2DM. These results suggest that: (i) an increase in circulating TNFalpha concentration is associated with peripheral insulin resistance and increased plasma glucose and insulin levels prior to the onset of type 2 diabetes; and (ii) the further deterioration in peripheral insulin resistance in T2DM (compared with NGT and IGT) is unrelated to the increase in serum TNFalpha concentration.

Insulin effects on glucose metabolism, memory, and plasma amyloid precursor protein in Alzheimer's disease differ according to apolipoprotein-E genotype.

Higher fasting plasma insulin levels and reduced CSF-to-plasma insulin ratios, suggestive of insulin resistance, have been observed in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) who do not possess an apolipoprotein E (ApoE)-epsilon 4 allele. Insulin has also been implicated in processing of beta-amyloid and amyloid precursor protein (APP). We examined the effects of intravenous insulin administration while maintaining euglycemia on insulin-mediated glucose disposal, memory, and plasma APP in patients with AD and normal adults of varying ApoE genotypes. AD subjects without an epsilon 4 allele had significantly lower insulin-mediated glucose disposal rates than did AD patients with an epsilon 4 allele (p < 0.03) or than did normal adults without an epsilon 4 allele (p < 0.02). AD subjects without an epsilon 4 allele also showed significant memory facilitation with insulin administration (p < 0.04), whereas the AD-epsilon 4 group did not. Insulin reduced APP levels for AD patients without an ApoE epsilon 4 allele, but raised APP for AD patients with an ApoE epsilon H4 allele These results document ApoE-related differences in insulin metabolism in AD that may relate to disease pathogenesis.

Paradoxical phosphorylation of skeletal muscle glycogen synthase by in vivo insulin in very lean young adult rhesus monkeys.

Calorie restriction (CR) has previously been shown to unexpectedly induce a reversal of in vivo insulin action (phosphorylation instead of dephosphorylation) on skeletal muscle glycogen synthase (GS) in four out of six long-term calorie-restricted (CR) monkeys. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether this increase in Ka (concentration of glucose 6-phosphate [G6P] at which GS activity is half-maximal) during insulin is also present in very lean (VL) young adult monkeys maintained on a controlled feeding regimen. Muscle samples from 10 VL monkeys (10 +/- 2% body fat; 7 years old) were obtained before and during a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp and the Ka was determined and compared to the Ka of two other groups of monkeys, one matched in age but fully ad libitum (AL)-fed (n = 9.8 +/- 1 years old, 20 +/- 3% body fat, p = 0.01 vs. VL monkeys), and the other our previously described weight-clamped long-term CR monkeys (n = 6.20 +/- 1 years old, 21 +/- 2% body fat, p = 0.01 vs. VL monkeys). All of the AL monkeys had the expected decrease in Ka with insulin; however, similar to the 4 out of 6 CR monkeys, 7 out of 10 VL monkeys had an increase in Ka with insulin. The 11 monkeys with an increase in Ka (+Ka) (7 VL + 4 CR) were compared to the 14 monkeys with a decrease in Ka with insulin (-Ka) (3 VL + 2 CR + 9 AL). The +Ka monkeys had lower basal Ka (p = 0.0001), higher basal GS fractional activity (p = 0.0003), lower basal G6P content (p = 0.002), lower glycogen phosphorylase fractional activity (p = 0.01), and lower whole-body insulin-mediated glucose disposal rate (p < 0.05) than the -Ka monkeys. We conclude that the condition of steady-state restrained calorie intake (as in the CR monkeys and in the controlled feeding VL monkeys) produces the paradoxical action of in vivo insulin to phosphorylate muscle GS, and raises the possibility that the presence of the unusual response to insulin may serve as a marker in calorie-restrained individuals for the genotype of obesity, insulin resistance and/or Type 2 diabetes.

Insulin Metabolism in Alzheimer’s Disease Differs According to Apolipoprotein E Genotype and Gender

Higher fasting plasma insulin levels and reduced CSF-to-plasma insulin ratios, suggestive of insulin resistance, have been observed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) who do not possess an apolipoprotein E (APOE)-Ε4 allele. We examined the relationship of APOE and gender to peripheral insulin action and hyperinsulinemic memory facilitation in patients with AD using a sensitive measure of insulin-mediated glucose disposal. Participants were 32 patients with AD (9 without an Ε4 allele, 23 with an Ε4 allele) and 25 healthy age-matched adults (16 without an Ε4 allele, 9 with an Ε4 allele). AD subjects without an Ε4 allele had significantly lower insulin-mediated glucose disposal rates than AD patients with an Ε4 allele (p < 0.03), or than normal adults without an Ε4 allele (p < 0.02). Female AD subjects showed lower insulin-mediated glucose disposal rates than did male AD subjects (p < 0.02). No significant interaction was observed between APOE group and gender, suggesting that these effects are independent. AD subjects without an Ε4 allele also showed significant memory facilitation in the hyperinsulinemic condition (p < 0.04), whereas the AD-Ε4 group did not. Also in the hyperinsulinemic condition, AD patients without an Ε4 allele had lower insulin levels than patients with an Ε4 allele (p < 0.02), and women with AD had lower insulin levels than did men with AD despite similar insulin infusion rates and body mass (p < 0.004). No gender or genotype effects were observed in either condition for normal subjects. These results provide in vivo evidence of differences in insulin-mediated energy metabolism between Ε4 and non-Ε4 AD, and suggest that defective insulin action may be of particular pathophysiologic significance for patients without an Ε-4 allele.

The insulin resistance syndrome

Insulin resistance is a frequently occurring abnormality. Although there can be insensitivity to any of insulin's actions, insulin resistance par excellence is a decreased insulin-mediated whole-body glucose disposal rate. A distinction is made between primary and secondary insulin resistance. Primary insulin resistance is of unknown origin, is only partially experimentally reproducible, and is essentially irreversible (spontaneously or by treatment). In addition, it is both pathway-specific (ie, glucose storage) and organ-specific (mostly skeletal muscle), and is compatible with a postreceptor defect in insulin action. Primary insulin resistance is found in a proportion (approximately 25%) of otherwise healthy people, in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, essential hypertension, and some forms of dyslipidemia. The idea of an insulin resistance syndrome derives from the striking pattern of overlap among these clinical conditions. Their tendency to cluster in the same individuals is evident from both cross-sectional and longitudinal observations. It is proposed that the insulin resistance syndrome is a large constellation of interrelated changes in metabolic, anthropometric, and hemodynamic variables centered around insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia. There is a significant genetic component, a predisposing influence for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and possibly, a distinct atherogenic potential.

Does insulin resistance unite the separate components of the insulin resistance syndrome? Evidence from the Miami Community Health Study.

A number of coronary heart disease risk factors have been identified that often cluster together to increase the risk of macrovascular disease. This cluster is referred to as the insulin resistance syndrome, and the risk factors commonly include dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, an android pattern of body fat distribution, and glucose intolerance. Whether hyperinsulinemia or insulin resistance per se provides a common pathway for these metabolic abnormalities is unclear. The authors studied 50 nondiabetic persons who had completed a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp protocol in addition to a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test and other measures of the coronary risk profile. Using principal-component analysis, we reduced nine coronary risk factors to two uncorrelated factors that explained 54.5% of the variance. Factor 1 consisted of positive loadings for uric acid, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride concentration, and waist girth and negative loadings for HDL cholesterol and the rate of insulin-mediated glucose disposal (M, in milligrams per kilogram of body weight per minute). M also loaded on factor 2, along with fasting insulin and glucose concentrations, diastolic blood pressure, and waist girth. The observation that M loaded on both factors suggests that a resistance to insulin action may provide the mechanism uniting the features of the insulin resistance syndrome. Hyperinsulinemia with concomitant insulin resistance may be necessary to produce this metabolic derangement, as well as the increased risk of macrovascular complications.

Insulin regulates liver glycogen synthase and glycogen phosphorylase activity reciprocally in rhesus monkeys.

In skeletal muscle of both humans and monkeys, the effects of in vivo insulin during a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp on the enzymes and substrates of glycogen metabolism have been well established. In liver, such effects of insulin during a clamp have not been previously studied in primates. To examine insulin action at the liver, euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamps were performed in 10 lean young adult male rhesus monkeys. Liver biopsies were obtained at three time points: basal (fasting), that is, immediately before the onset of the clamp, and during insulin infusion at 130 and 195 min. Glycogen synthase (GS), glycogen phosphorylase (GP), glucose 6-phosphate (G-6-P), and glycogen were determined at each time point, with the greatest effects observed most frequently at 195 min. Whole body insulin-mediated glucose disposal rate was related to the change in the independent activity of GS (r = 0.63, P < 0.05). Insulin increased the GS fractional activity (P < 0.005) and decreased the activity ratio of GP (P < 0.001) compared with basal. The changes in fractional activity of GS and in activity ratio of GP were inversely related (r = - 0.68, P < 0.05), G-6-P concentration was decreased during insulin stimulation compared with basal (P = 0.01). Glycogen concentration was not significantly different between the basal and insulin-stimulated time points. We conclude that insulin during a euglycemic clamp activates liver GS while inhibiting liver GP and that insulin action on liver GS is positively related to whole body insulin-mediated glucose disposal rates in lean young adult rhesus monkeys.

Reciprocal variations in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and pancreatic insulin secretion in women with normal glucose tolerance.

Maintenance of normal glucose tolerance is achieved in subjects with a wide range of insulin sensitivity. It follows, therefore, that the body must possess a sensor mechanism that assesses the body's sensitivity to insulin and appropriately adjusts the secretion of insulin to maintain normal glucose homeostasis. We evaluated the relation between insulin action and insulin secretion. Euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp (1 mU/kg.minute) and hyperglycemic clamp (+125 mg/dL) studies were performed in 32 non-obese women with normal oral glucose tolerance tests. The subjects were stratified into quartiles based upon their insulin-mediated rate of glucose uptake during the euglycemic insulin clamp. Total body glucose disposal varied threefold, ranging from 4.00 to 11.18 mg/kg.minute. A significant inverse relation (r = -0.50, P < .01) was noted between the rate of total body insulin-mediated glucose disposal (insulin clamp) and the total plasma insulin response during the hyperglycemic clamp. Women in the lowest quartile of insulin sensitivity (mean glucose uptake 5.07 +/- 0.20 mg/kg.minute) had the highest plasma insulin response during the hyperglycemic clamp (109 +/- 20 microU/mL). In contrast, women in the highest quartile of insulin sensitivity (glucose uptake 9.90 +/- 0.38 mg/kg.minute) had the lowest plasma insulin response during the hyperglycemic clamp (55 +/- 16 microU/mL; P < .001 versus the lowest quartile). These results demonstrate that among subjects with normal glucose tolerance, there exists a large variation in both insulin-mediated glucose uptake and pancreatic insulin secretion. Nonetheless, normal glucose tolerance is maintained because of a finely regulated balance, which couples the demand for insulin secretion by the pancreatic beta cells to the level of whole-body insulin sensitivity.