Muscle Microvascular Blood Volume Research Articles

BLUNTED SKELETAL MUSCLE MICROVASCULAR BLOOD FLOW IS A POTENTIAL UNDERLYING MECHANISM FOR EXERCISE INTOLERANCE IN ADULTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

INTRODUCTION & AIMS Approximately 45% of adults living with atrial fibrillation (AF) experience exercise intolerance (EI). However, the mechanisms of EI in AF are not well understood. We aimed to determine whether impaired skeletal muscle microvascular blood flow (MBF), not macrovascular, responses to peak exercise is a plausible explanation for EI in adults with AF. METHODS Adults with AF and healthy controls completed a Modified Bruce treadmill protocol to obtain peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2peak). Skeletal muscle microvascular blood volume, velocity, and flow in the vastus lateralis muscle was assessed using contrast enhanced ultrasound. Superficial femoral artery diameter, blood velocity and flow were assessed using 2D and Doppler ultrasound. Vascular measurements were collected at rest, immediately post-exercise, and 30 minutes post-exercise. RESULTS Nine adults with AF (age: 62±5 years, 66% females, BMI: 29.7±4.2 kg/m2, V̇O2peak: 24.3±6.1 mL/kg/min) and seven controls (age: 63±10 years, 57% females, BMI: 26.7±1.7 kg/m2, V̇O2peak: 31.0±7.5 mL/kg/min) participated. One participant was in AF during testing. A significant group x time interaction in skeletal muscle MBF (p=0.04) and near significant interaction in blood volume (capillary recruitment, p=0.08) was observed. Post-hoc analysis revealed adults with AF had a significantly blunted MBF at 30 minutes post-exercise (-1.3 fold versus control, p=0.01) and reduced microvascular blood volume (i.e. capillary recruitment) pre- and 30 minutes post-exercise (-6.6 fold [p=0.01] and -9.4 fold [p=0.01] versus controls). No differences were observed for changes in skeletal muscle microvascular blood velocity, or femoral artery diameter, blood velocity or flow. CONCLUSION Despite similar femoral artery blood flow responses, adults with AF have lower skeletal muscle MBF responses to peak exercise which may be driven by a reduced capillary recruitment in the skeletal muscle. Our findings provide new insight into vascular complications which may partially explain EI in those with AF.

Insulin-induced vasoconstriction is prevalent in muscle microvasculature of otherwise healthy persons with type 1 diabetes.

Insulin's microvascular actions and their relationship to insulin's metabolic actions have not been well studied in adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). We compared the metabolic and selected micro- and macrovascular responses to insulin by healthy adult control (n = 16) and subjects with T1DM (n = 15) without clinical microvascular disease. We measured insulin's effect on 1) skeletal muscle microvascular perfusion using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEU), 2) arterial stiffness using carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity (cfPWV) and radial artery pulse wave analysis (PWA), and 3) metabolic insulin sensitivity by the glucose infusion rate (GIR) during a 2-h, 1 mU/min/kg euglycemic-insulin clamp. Subjects with T1DM were metabolically insulin resistant (GIR = 5.2 ± 0.7 vs. 6.6 ± 0.6 mg/min/kg, P < 0.001). Insulin increased muscle microvascular blood volume and flow in control (P < 0.001, for each) but not in subjects with T1DM. Metabolic insulin sensitivity correlated with increases of muscle microvascular perfused volume (P < 0.05). Baseline measures of vascular stiffness did not differ between groups. However, during hyperinsulinemia, cfPWV was greater (P < 0.02) in the T1DM group and the backward pulse wave pressure declined with insulin only in controls (P < 0.03), both indices indicating that insulin-induced vascular relaxation in controls only. Subjects with T1DM have muscle microvascular insulin resistance that may precede clinical microvascular disease.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Using contrast ultrasound and measures of vascular stiffness, we compared vascular and metabolic responses to insulin in patients with type 1 diabetes with age-matched controls. The patients with type 1 diabetes demonstrated both vascular and metabolic insulin resistance with more than half of the patients with diabetes having a paradoxical vasoconstrictive vascular response to insulin.

Metformin improves skeletal muscle microvascular insulin resistance in metabolic syndrome.

Microvascular insulin resistance is present in metabolic syndrome and may contribute to increased cardiovascular disease risk and the impaired metabolic response to insulin observed. Metformin improves metabolic insulin resistance in humans. Its effects on macro and microvascular insulin resistance have not been defined. Eleven subjects with nondiabetic metabolic syndrome were studied four times (before and after 12 wk of treatment with placebo or metformin) using a crossover design, with an 8-wk washout interval between treatments. On each occasion, we measured three indices of large artery function [pulse wave velocity (PWV), radial pulse wave separation analysis (PWSA), brachial artery endothelial function (flow-mediated dilation-FMD)] as well as muscle microvascular perfusion [contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEU)] before and at 120 min into a 150 min, 1 mU/min/kg euglycemic insulin clamp. Metformin decreased body mass index (BMI), fat weight, and % body fat (P < 0.05, each), however, placebo had no effect. Metformin (not placebo) improved metabolic insulin sensitivity, (clamp glucose infusion rate, P < 0.01), PWV, and FMD after insulin were unaffected by metformin treatment. PWSA improved with insulin only after metformin P < 0.01). Insulin decreased muscle microvascular blood volume measured by contrast ultrasound both before and after placebo and before metformin (P < 0.02 for each) but not after metformin. Short-term metformin treatment improves both metabolic and muscle microvascular response to insulin. Metformin's effect on microvascular insulin responsiveness may contribute to its beneficial metabolic effects. Metformin did not improve aortic stiffness or brachial artery endothelial function, but enhanced radial pulse wave properties consistent with relaxation of smaller arterioles.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Metformin, a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes, is often used in patients with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Here, we provide the first evidence for metformin improving muscle microvascular insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant humans. Simultaneously, metformin improved muscle glucose disposal, supporting a close relationship between insulin's microvascular and its metabolic actions in muscle. Whether enhanced microvascular insulin sensitivity contributes to metformin's ability to decrease microvascular complications in diabetes remains to be resolved.

Nitric oxide-dependent micro- and macrovascular dysfunction occurs early in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction are both reported in children with type 1 diabetes (DM1) and may predict future cardiovascular events. In health, nitric oxide (NO) relaxes arteries and increases microvascular perfusion. The relationships between NO-dependent macro- and microvascular functional responses and arterial stiffness have not been studied in adolescents with DM1. Here, we assessed macro- and microvascular function in DM1 adolescents and age-matched controls at baseline and during an oral glucose challenge (OGTT). DM1 adolescents (n = 16) and controls (n = 14) were studied before and during an OGTT. At baseline, we measured: 1) large artery stiffness using both aortic augmentation index (AI) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV); 2) brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and forearm endothelial function using postischemic flow velocity (PIFV); and 3) forearm muscle microvascular blood volume (MBV) using contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Following OGTT, AI, cfPWV, and MBV were reassessed at 60 min and MBV again at 120 min. Within individual and between-group, comparisons were made by paired and unpaired t tests or repeated measures ANOVA. Baseline FMD was lower (P = 0.02) in DM1. PWV at 0 and 60 min did not differ between groups. Baseline AI did not differ between groups but declined with OGTT only in controls (P = 0.02) and was lower than DM1 at 60 min (P < 0.03). Baseline MBV was comparable in DM1 and control groups, but declined in DM1 at 120 min (P = 0.01) and was lower than the control group (P < 0.03). There was an inverse correlation between plasma glucose and MBV at 120 min (r = -0.523, P < 0.01). No differences were noted between groups for V̇O2max (mL/min/kg), body fat (%), or body mass index (BMI). NO-dependent macro- and microvascular function, including FMD and AI, and microvascular perfusion, respectively, are impaired early in the course of DM1, precede increases of arterial stiffness, and may provide an early indicator of vascular risk.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to show that type 1 diabetes impairs multiple nitric oxide-dependent vascular functions.

Impaired postprandial skeletal muscle vascular responses to a mixed meal challenge in normoglycaemic people with a parent with type 2 diabetes.

Microvascular blood flow (MBF) increases in skeletal muscle postprandially to aid in glucose delivery and uptake in muscle. This vascular action is impaired in individuals who are obese or have type 2 diabetes. Whether MBF is impaired in normoglycaemic people at risk of type 2 diabetes is unknown. We aimed to determine whether apparently healthy people at risk of type 2 diabetes display impaired skeletal muscle microvascular responses to a mixed-nutrient meal. In this cross-sectional study, participants with no family history of type 2 diabetes (FH-) for two generations (n = 18), participants with a positive family history of type 2 diabetes (FH+; i.e. a parent with type 2 diabetes; n = 16) and those with type 2 diabetes (n = 12) underwent a mixed meal challenge (MMC). Metabolic responses (blood glucose, plasma insulin and indirect calorimetry) were measured before and during the MMC. Skeletal muscle large artery haemodynamics (2D and Doppler ultrasound, and Mobil-O-graph) and microvascular responses (contrast-enhanced ultrasound) were measured at baseline and 1h post MMC. Despite normal blood glucose concentrations, FH+ individuals displayed impaired metabolic flexibility (reduced ability to switch from fat to carbohydrate oxidation vs FH-; p < 0.05) during the MMC. The MMC increased forearm muscle microvascular blood volume in both the FH- (1.3-fold, p < 0.01) and FH+ (1.3-fold, p < 0.05) groups but not in participants with type 2 diabetes. However, the MMC increased MBF (1.9-fold, p < 0.01), brachial artery diameter (1.1-fold, p < 0.01) and brachial artery blood flow (1.7-fold, p < 0.001) and reduced vascular resistance (0.7-fold, p < 0.001) only in FH- participants, with these changes being absent in FH+ and type 2 diabetes. Participants with type 2 diabetes displayed significantly higher vascular stiffness (p < 0.001) compared with those in the FH- and FH+ groups; however, vascular stiffness did not change during the MMC in any participant group. Normoglycaemic FH+ participants display impaired postprandial skeletal muscle macro- and microvascular responses, suggesting that poor vascular responses to a meal may contribute to their increased risk of type 2 diabetes. We conclude that vascular insulin resistance may be an early precursor to type 2 diabetes in humans, which can be revealed using an MMC.

The vascular response to acute hyperglycaemia: What is the role of exercise capacity?

The vascular response to acute hyperglycaemia: What is the role of exercise capacity?

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.

Reduced post-exercise muscle microvascular perfusion with compression is offset by increased muscle oxygen extraction: Assessment by contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

The microvasculature is important for both health and exercise tolerance in a range of populations. However, methodological limitations have meant changes in microvascular blood flow are rarely assessed in humans during interventions designed to affect skeletal muscle blood flow such as the wearing of compression garments. The aim of this study is, for the first time, to use contrast-enhanced ultrasound to directly measure the effects of compression on muscle microvascular blood flow alongside measures of femoral artery blood flow and muscle oxygenation following intense exercise in healthy adults. It was hypothesized that both muscle microvascular and femoral artery blood flows would be augmented with compression garments as compared with a control condition. Ten recreationally active participants completed two repeated-sprint exercise sessions, with and without lower-limb compression tights. Muscle microvascular blood flow, femoral arterial blood flow (2D and Doppler ultrasound), muscle oxygenation (near-infrared spectroscopy), cycling performance, and venous blood samples were measured/taken throughout exercise and the 1-hour post-exercise recovery period. Compared with control, compression reduced muscle microvascular blood volume and attenuated the exercise-induced increase in microvascular velocity and flow immediately after exercise and 1hour post-exercise. Compression increased femoral artery diameter and augmented the exercise-induced increase in femoral arterial blood flow during exercise. Markers of blood oxygen extraction in muscle were increased with compression during and after exercise. Compression had no effect on blood lactate, glucose, or exercise performance. We provide new evidence that lower-limb compression attenuates the exercise-induced increase in skeletal muscle microvascular blood flow following exercise, despite a divergent increase in femoral artery blood flow. Decreased muscle microvascular perfusion is offset by increased muscle oxygen extraction, a potential mechanism allowing for the maintenance of exercise performance.

Acute hyperglycaemia enhances both vascular endothelial function and cardiac and skeletal muscle microvascular function in healthy humans.

Multiple clinical studies report that acute hyperglycaemia (induced by mixed meal or oral glucose) decreases arterial vascular function in healthy humans. Feeding, however, impacts autonomic output, blood pressure, and insulin and incretin secretion, which may themselves alter vascular function. No prior studies have examined the effect of acute hyperglycaemia on both macro- and microvascular function while controlling plasma insulin concentrations. Macrovascular and microvascular functional responses to euglycaemia and hyperglycaemia were compared. Octreotide was infused throughout both protocols to prevent endogenous insulin release. Acute hyperglycaemia (induced by intravenous glucose) enhanced brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation, increased skeletal muscle microvascular blood volume and flow, and expanded cardiac muscle microvascular blood volume. Compared to other published findings, the results suggest that vascular responses to acute hyperglycaemia differ based on the study population (i.e. normal weight vs. overweight/obese) and/or glucose delivery method (i.e. intravenous vs. oral glucose). High glucose concentrations acutely provoke endothelial cell oxidative stress and are suggested to trigger diabetes-related macro- and microvascular injury in humans. Multiple clinical studies report that acute hyperglycaemia (induced by mixed meal or oral glucose) decreases arterial vascular function in healthy humans. Feeding, however, impacts autonomic output, blood pressure, and insulin and incretin secretion, which may each independently alter vascular function and obscure the effect of acute hyperglycaemia per se. Surprisingly, no studies have examined the acute effects of intravenous glucose-induced hyperglycaemia on both macro- and microvascular function while controlling plasma insulin concentrations. In this randomized study of healthy young adults, we compared macrovascular (i.e. brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and post-ischaemic brachial artery flow velocity) and microvascular (heart and skeletal muscle perfusion by contrast-enhanced ultrasound) functional responses to euglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. Octreotide was infused throughout both protocols to prevent endogenous insulin release. Acute intravenous glucose-induced hyperglycaemia enhanced brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (P=0.004), increased skeletal muscle microvascular blood volume and flow (P=0.001), and expanded cardiac muscle microvascular blood volume (P=0.014). No measure of vascular function changed during octreotide-maintained euglycaemia. Our findings suggest that unlike meal-provoked acute hyperglycaemia, 4h of intravenous glucose-induced hyperglycaemia enhances brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation, provokes cardiac and skeletal muscle microvascular function, and does not impair aortic stiffness. Previous findings of acute large artery vascular dysfunction during oral glucose or mixed meal ingestion may be due to differences in study populations and meal-induced humoral or neural factors beyond hyperglycaemia per se. (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT03520569.).

Hyperglycemia does not Inhibit Insulin's Effects on Microvascular Perfusion in Healthy Humans: A Randomized Crossover Study.

Diabetes mellitus accelerates vascular disease through multiple biochemical pathways driven by hyperglycemia, with insulin resistance and/or hyperinsulinemia also contributing. Persons with diabetes mellitus experience premature large vessel and microvascular disease when compared to normoglycemic controls. Currently there is a paucity of clinical data identifying how acutely the vasculature responds to hyperglycemia and whether other physiologic factors (e.g., vasoactive hormones) contribute. To our knowledge, no prior studies have examined the dynamic effects of acute hyperglycemia on insulin-mediated actions on both micro- and macrovascular function in the same subjects. In this randomized crossover trial, healthy young adults underwent two infusion protocols designed to compare the effects of insulin infusion during euglycemia and hyperglycemia on micro- and macrovascular function. Both euglycemic- and hyperglycemic-hyperinsulinemia increased skeletal (but not cardiac) muscle microvascular blood volume (each p<0.02) and blood flow significantly (each p<0.04), and these increases did not differ between protocols. Hyperglycemic-hyperinsulinemia trended towards increased carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (indicating increased aortic stiffness; p= 0.065 after Bonferroni adjustment), while euglycemic-hyperinsulinemia did not. There were no changes in post-ischemic flow velocity or brachial artery flow-mediated dilation during either protocol. Plasma endothelin-1 levels significantly decreased during both protocols (each p<0.02). In this study, acute hyperglycemia for 4 hours did not inhibit insulin's ability to increase skeletal muscle microvascular perfusion but did provoke a slight increase in aortic stiffness. Hyperglycemia also did not adversely affect myocardial microvascular perfusion or endothelial function or prevent the decline of endothelin-1 during insulin infusion.

972-P: Liraglutide Attenuates Lipid-Induced Microvascular Insulin Resistance in Humans

Insulin recruits skeletal and cardiac muscle microvasculature to increase insulin and nutrient delivery, but this action is lost in insulin resistant states. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) improves microvascular perfusion in humans with obesity and the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide attenuates muscle microvascular insulin resistance (IR) in rodents. To examine whether GLP-1 receptor agonism improves insulin’s microvascular actions in humans with acute IR, 18 healthy human subjects randomly received a systemic infusion of either saline or lipid emulsion (20%, 45 mL x 1 h and then 30 mL x 4 h) for 5 h or lipid emulsion for 5 h + liraglutide pre-treatment (0.6, 1.2, then 1.8 mg daily SC each x 2 days) with euglycemic insulin clamp (1 mU/kg/min) superimposed for the last 120 min. Skeletal and cardiac muscle microvascular blood volume (MBV), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), pulse wave velocity (PWV), and augmentation index (AI) were determined before and after insulin clamp. Compared with saline admission, insulin failed to increase MBV following lipid infusion in both skeletal (28.4 ± 14.1% vs. -1.3 ± 9.6% respectively, p=0.011) and cardiac (28.4 ± 14.1% vs. -1.3 ± 8.9%, p=0.027) muscle, consistent with acute IR induced by lipid infusion in both microvascular beds. Liraglutide pre-treatment improved insulin-mediated increases in MBV in the presence of lipid infusion in skeletal (8.9 ± 13.5%, p=0.117 vs. saline) and cardiac (12.6 ± 12.1%, p=0.101 vs. saline) muscle. There was no significant change in PWV, AI, or FMD amongst admissions. Glucose infusion rates were not significantly different amongst admissions (saline 6.02 ± 0.52, lipid 5.58 ± 0.62, vs. liraglutide + lipid 5.46 ± 0.46 mg/kg/min). In conclusion, liraglutide pretreatment effectively ameliorates lipid-induced skeletal and cardiac muscle microvascular IR in healthy humans. These data provide a mechanistic insight into the metabolic and cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1 receptor agonism seen in humans with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Disclosure K. Love: None. L. Jahn: None. L. Hartline: None. Z. Liu: None. Funding American Diabetes Association (1-17-ICST-059 to Z.L.); National Institutes of Health (1R01DK102359-01A1)

1755-P: Insulin-Mediated Glucose Disposal and Muscle Microvascular Recruitment Are Mutual Predictors in Humans

Insulin recruits muscle microvasculature to enhance insulin and nutrient delivery. Insulin resistance (IR) blunts this microvascular action. While metabolic and microvascular IR usually coexist, and phenotypic traits which foretell metabolic IR are well established, those which predict microvascular IR are unknown. To test whether metabolic IR and its associated traits predict microvascular IR, we performed euglycemic insulin clamps (1 mU/kg/min) in healthy lean (n= 57), healthy obese (n=15) and lean type 1 diabetes subjects (T1D) (n=25), and tested parametric correlations and a multivariate model ANOVA. We measured insulin-mediated whole body glucose disposal (M-value) and insulin-induced changes in muscle microvascular blood volume (ΔMBV) by contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Predictor variables included body mass index (BMI), total body weight (WT), percent body fat (BF), lean body mass, blood pressure, maximal rate of oxygen consumption (VO2max), and plasma levels of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), fasting insulin (INS) and free fatty acids. A total of 97 subjects were included (mean age 25.4±6.8, 47% women) in the analyses. Among all factors, only M-value (r=0.23, p=0.023) and VO2max (r=0.20, p=0.047) correlated with ΔMBV. Conversely, INS (r=-0.59, P≤0.001), BF (r=-0.54, p≤0.001), VO2max (r=0.5, p≤0.001), BMI (r=-0.40, p&amp;lt;0.001), WT (r=-0.33, p=0.001), LDL-C (r=-0.26, p=0.009), TG (r=-0.25, p=0.012), as well as ΔMBV correlated with M-value. While both ΔMBV (p=0.045) and TG (p=0.037) independently predicted M-value, only M-value independently predicted ΔMBV (p=0.045). In conclusion, both M-value and VO2max correlated with but only M-value independently predicted microvascular IR. This suggests that, while metabolic and microvascular IR are important predictors of one another, most phenotypic predictors of metabolic IR do not predict microvascular IR. Disclosure K. Love: None. L. Jahn: None. L. Hartline: None. E. Barrett: None. Z. Liu: None. Funding American Diabetes Association (1-17-ICST-059 to Z.L.); National Institutes of Health (1F32DK121431-01)

High-glucose mixed-nutrient meal ingestion impairs skeletal muscle microvascular blood flow in healthy young men.

Oral glucose ingestion leads to impaired muscle microvascular blood flow (MBF), which may contribute to acute hyperglycemia-induced insulin resistance. We investigated whether incorporating lipids and protein into a high-glucose load would prevent postprandial MBF dysfunction. Ten healthy young men (age, 27 yr [24, 30], mean with lower and upper bounds of the 95% confidence interval; height, 180 cm [174, 185]; weight, 77 kg [70, 84]) ingested a high-glucose (1.1 g/kg glucose) mixed-nutrient meal (10 kcal/kg; 45% carbohydrate, 20% protein, and 35% fat) in the morning after an overnight fast. Femoral arterial blood flow was measured via Doppler ultrasound, and thigh MBF was measured via contrast-enhanced ultrasound, before meal ingestion and 1 h and 2 h postprandially. Blood glucose and plasma insulin were measured at baseline and every 15 min throughout the 2-h postprandial period. Compared with baseline, thigh muscle microvascular blood volume, velocity, and flow were significantly impaired at 60 min postprandial (-25%, -27%, and -46%, respectively; all P < 0.05) and to a greater extent at 120 min postprandial (-37%, -46%, and -64%; all P < 0.01). Heart rate and femoral arterial diameter, blood velocity, and blood flow were significantly increased at 60 min and 120 min postprandial (all P < 0.05). Higher blood glucose area under the curve was correlated with greater MBF dysfunction (R2 = 0.742; P < 0.001). Ingestion of a high-glucose mixed-nutrient meal impairs MBF in healthy individuals for up to 2 h postprandial.

Vasodilatory Actions of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Are Preserved in Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle Microvasculature but Not in Conduit Artery in Obese Humans With Vascular Insulin Resistance.

Obesity is associated with microvascular insulin resistance, which is characterized by impaired insulin-mediated microvascular recruitment. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) recruits skeletal and cardiac muscle microvasculature, and this action is preserved in insulin-resistant rodents. We aimed to examine whether GLP-1 recruits microvasculature and improves the action of insulin in obese humans. Fifteen obese adults received intravenous infusion of either saline or GLP-1 (1.2 pmol/kg/min) for 150 min with or without a euglycemic insulin clamp (1 mU/kg/min) superimposed over the last 120 min. Skeletal and cardiac muscle microvascular blood volume (MBV), flow velocity and blood flow, brachial artery diameter and blood flow, and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were determined. Insulin failed to change MBV or flow in either skeletal or cardiac muscle, confirming the presence of microvascular insulin resistance. GLP-1 infusion alone increased MBV by ∼30% and ∼40% in skeletal and cardiac muscle, respectively, with no change in flow velocity, leading to a significant increase in microvascular blood flow in both skeletal and cardiac muscle. Superimposition of insulin to GLP-1 infusion did not further increase MBV or flow in either skeletal or cardiac muscle but raised the steady-state glucose infusion rate by ∼20%. Insulin, GLP-1, and GLP-1 + insulin infusion did not alter brachial artery diameter and blood flow or PWV. The vasodilatory actions of GLP-1 are preserved in both skeletal and cardiac muscle microvasculature, which may contribute to improving metabolic insulin responses and cardiovascular outcomes. In obese humans with microvascular insulin resistance, GLP-1's vasodilatory actions are preserved in both skeletal and cardiac muscle microvasculature, which may contribute to improving metabolic insulin responses and cardiovascular outcomes.

1936-P: Muscle Ischemia Impairs Insulin-Mediated Microvascular Recruitment

Diabetes predisposes patients to peripheral artery disease (PAD). Muscle microvasculature plays a critical role in maintaining muscle function and health by delivering oxygen, nutrients and hormones to myocytes. Insulin dilates precapillary arterioles to increase muscle perfusion. To define the impact of ischemia to muscle microvascular perfusion and microvascular response to insulin, adult male rats were subject to hind limb ischemic surgery. Total hind limb blood flow was determined using laser Doppler blood flowmetry and muscle microvascular blood volume (MBV) measured using contrast-enhanced ultrasound in both the ischemic (left) and control (right) hind limb. Ischemic to control limb (I/C) ratios were calculated. Hyperinsulinemic euglycemia clamps were performed to determine microvascular responses to insulin. Hind limb ischemic surgery decreased total limb blood flow by ∼70% immediately, from a pre-surgical I/C ratio of 1.10 ± 0.07 to 0.34 ± 0.06. The I/C ratios then progressively increased to 0.45 ± 0.08, 0.54 ± 0.06, 0.67 ± 0.11, and 0.74± 0.11 on postsurgical day 3, 7, 14 and 21 respectively. Similarly, ischemic surgery decreased MBV promptly from a pre-surgical I/C ratio of 1.01 ± 0.04 to 0.39 ± 0.06. MBV I/C ratios completely recovered on day 3 (1.11 ± 0.09) and remained stable afterwards. Insulin induced similar increases in muscle MBV in both legs before surgery (I/C ratio 1.14 ± 0.16) but the increase was much less in ischemic leg on day 3 (I/C ratio 0.63 ± 0.15). Microvascular insulin responses fully recovered on day 7 (I/C ratio 0.97± 0.25). We conclude that hind limb ischemia is associated with decreased total blood flow, muscle microvascular perfusion as well as microvascular responses to insulin. While the recovery in muscle microvascular perfusion precedes that of total limb blood flow, recovery in muscle microvascular response to insulin is delayed. These changes may contribute to muscle injury in patients with diabetes and the muscle microvasculature is potentially a therapeutic target for PAD. Disclosure N. Wang: None. Z. Liu: None. Funding American Diabetes Association (1-17-ICTS-059 to Z.L.); National Institutes of Health (R01DK102359)

1934-P: Acute Hyperglycemia Increases Perfusion of Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle in Healthy Subjects

Introduction: Over time, diabetes damages both the micro- and macrovasculature. Acutely, hyperglycemia causes oxidative stress and multiple biochemical abnormalities in endothelial cells. However, initial in vivo functional vascular responses to acute hyperglycemia (AH) are not well-characterized in humans or animals. Measurement of microvascular perfusion (MP) and endothelial function provides in vivo estimates of nutrient and hormone access to tissues and endothelial health, respectively. Methods: Thirteen healthy adults (18-35 years, BMI 18-25 kg/m2) were fasted overnight. Octreotide was infused with basal insulin replacement and baseline measures of endothelial function by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and MP (heart and skeletal muscle) by contrast-enhanced ultrasound were obtained after 90 minutes. Glucose was infused to maintain fasting euglycemia (EU) or raise glucose to ∼200 mg/dL (AH) for 4 hours with measures of FMD and MP repeated. Linear mixed model was used for statistical analysis, with Bonferroni correction for between-study comparisons. Results: Compared to baseline, 4 hours of AH significantly increased skeletal muscle microvascular blood volume (MBV) (p=0.0002), microvascular flow velocity (p=0.047), and microvascular blood flow (p=0.025). MBV significantly increased in comparison to euglycemia (p=0.02). MBV also increased in cardiac muscle during AH (p=0.002). FMD trended towards a significant increase with AH (p=0.058). No changes were observed with EU. Discussion: First, octreotide had no discernible effect on MP or FMD, which allowed testing the effect of AH while insulin remained at basal. Second, we provide the first evidence that heart and skeletal muscle respond to 4 hours of AH by increasing perfusion in healthy subjects. Whether this response is maintained with chronic hyperglycemia is unknown. Disclosure W.B. Horton: None. L. Jahn: None. L. Hartline: None. J.T. Patrie: None. E. Barrett: Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca. Funding National Institutes of Health (F32HL142304-01)

68-LB: Being Physically Active Does Not Rescue Skeletal Muscle Microvascular Dysfunction in Overweight Individuals

Skeletal muscle microvascular blood volume increases after a meal to increase glucose and insulin delivery to the muscle. In obese individuals this microvascular action in muscle is lost (Keske et al. 2009 Diabetes Care). However, exercise training can improve muscle microvascular responses in the postprandial state (Russell et al. 2017 Diabetes Care). We hypothesized that people who are overweight but are habitual exercisers would have similar increases in microvascular perfusion following a mixed meal as people who are lean and exercise regularly. Methods: Nine lean (LEAN+Ex, BMI &amp;lt; 23 kg/m2) and five overweight (OW+Ex, BMI &amp;gt; 27 kg/m2) physically active participants (&amp;gt; 75 min of vigorous intensity or &amp;gt; 150 min of moderate intensity exercise per week) were recruited. Body composition was assessed by DEXA. After an overnight fast, participants underwent a mixed meal challenge (1214 kJ). Thigh muscle microvascular responses were assessed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound at rest and 1 hour after the mixed meal. Results: Data are presented in Table 1 (Mean ± SE, * p&amp;lt;0.05 vs. LEAN+Ex; + p&amp;lt;0.05 vs. resting). Conclusion: The postprandial increase in microvascular blood volume in the Lean+Ex group was not observed in the OW+Ex group. These data suggest that habitual exercise is not sufficient to overcome the negative effects of being overweight on muscle microvascular responses to a mixed meal. Disclosure A.C. Betik: None. D.J. Morrison: None. L. Parker: None. K. Roberts-Thomson: None. M. Keske: None. Funding Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition

Iloprost infusion prevents the insulin-induced reduction in skeletal muscle microvascular blood volume but does not enhance peripheral glucose uptake in type 2 diabetic patients.

In type 2 diabetes impaired insulin-induced muscle perfusion is thought to contribute to reduced whole-body glucose uptake. In this study, we examined the effects of iloprost, a stable prostacyclin analogue, on insulin-induced muscle capillary recruitment and whole-body glucose uptake. In a randomized cross-over design, 12 type 2 diabetes patients (age, 55 [46-69] years; BMI, 33.1 [31.0-39] kg/m2 ) underwent two hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamps, one with and one without simultaneous low-dose iloprost infusion. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of the vastus lateralis muscle was performed before and during the clamp. Muscle capillary recruitment was calculated as percentage change in microvascular blood volume (MBV) before and during the clamp. Insulin infusion reduced skeletal muscle MBV by ~50% compared to the fasting state (fasting, 1.77·10-4 [1.54·10-5 -2.44·10-3 ] arbitrary units (AU); hyperinsulinaemia, 6.69·10-5 [2.68·10-6 -5.72·10-4 ] AU; P = 0.050). Infusion of iloprost prevented this insulin-induced skeletal muscle capillary derecruitment, from (-49.5 [-89.5 to 55.3] %) to (8.0 [-68.8 to 306.6] %), for conditions without and with iloprost, respectively. The rate of glucose disappearance (Rd ) did not change significantly during iloprost infusion (17.3 [10.0-40.8] μmol/kg/min) compared with insulin infusion alone (17.6 [9.9-68.7] μmol/kg/min). Our data suggest that acute improvement in insulin-stimulated muscle perfusion is not an attractive therapeutic approach to bypass cellular resistance to glucose uptake in type 2 diabetes. Whether long-term improvements in insulin-induced muscle perfusion may prove beneficial for glucose disposal remains to be determined.

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Increases Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle, Microvascular Perfusion, and Improves Metabolic Insulin Action in Obese Humans

Obesity is associated with metabolic and microvascular insulin resistance. The latter is characterized by impaired insulin-mediated microvascular recruitment. GLP-1 engenders vasodilation in addition to its glycemic actions. At physiological concentrations, GLP-1 acutely recruits skeletal and cardiac muscle microvasculature in healthy humans and this action is preserved in the insulin resistant rodents. To examine whether GLP-1 recruits microvasculature and improves insulin’s action in obese humans, 15 obese adults (age 27 ± 2.2, BMI 33.7 ± 1.2) were studied thrice at random order after an overnight fast. Subjects received an intravenous infusion of GLP-1 (1.2 pmol/kg/min) for 150 mins or an intravenous infusion of either normal saline or GLP-1 (1.2 pmol/kg/min) for 150 mins with a euglycemic insulin clamp (1 mU/kg/min) superimposed over the last 120 mins. Skeletal and cardiac muscle microvascular blood volume (MBV), flow velocity (MFV) and blood flow (MBF) were determined at 0, 30 and 150 min. Steady-state glucose infusion rate (GIR) was calculated. Insulin infusion alone did not change MBV or MBF in either skeletal or cardiac muscle, confirming the presence of microvascular insulin resistance. GLP-1 infusion alone increased MBV by ∼30% and ∼40% in skeletal and cardiac muscle respectively (p&amp;lt;0.05) without affecting MFV, leading to a significant increase in MBF in both skeletal and cardiac muscle. Superimposition of insulin infusion to GLP-1 infusion did not further increase MBV or MBF in either skeletal or cardiac muscle, but raised the steady-state GIR from 4.1± 0.4 to 5.0 ± 0.5 mg/kg/min (p&amp;lt;0.05). We conclude that in obese humans with microvascular insulin resistance GLP-1's vasodilatory actions are preserved in both skeletal and cardiac muscle microvasculature. This may contribute to improving metabolic responses to insulin and decreasing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associated with obesity and diabetes. Disclosure N. Wang: None. A. Tan: None. L. Jahn: None. L. Hartline: None. K.W. Aylor: None. E. Barrett: None. Z. Liu: None.

Oral glucose challenge impairs skeletal muscle microvascular blood flow in healthy people.

Skeletal muscle microvascular (capillary) blood flow increases in the postprandial state or during insulin infusion due to dilation of precapillary arterioles to augment glucose disposal. This effect occurs independently of changes in large artery function. However, acute hyperglycemia impairs vascular function, causes insulin to vasoconstrict precapillary arterioles, and causes muscle insulin resistance in vivo. We hypothesized that acute hyperglycemia impairs postprandial muscle microvascular perfusion, without disrupting normal large artery hemodynamics, in healthy humans. Fifteen healthy people (5 F/10 M) underwent an oral glucose challenge (OGC, 50 g glucose) and a mixed-meal challenge (MMC) on two separate occasions (randomized, crossover design). At 1 h, both challenges produced a comparable increase (6-fold) in plasma insulin levels. However, the OGC produced a 1.5-fold higher increase in blood glucose compared with the MMC 1 h postingestion. Forearm muscle microvascular blood volume and flow (contrast-enhanced ultrasound) were increased during the MMC (1.3- and 1.9-fold from baseline, respectively, P < 0.05 for both) but decreased during the OGC (0.7- and 0.6-fold from baseline, respectively, P < 0.05 for both) despite a similar hyperinsulinemia. Both challenges stimulated brachial artery flow (ultrasound) and heart rate to a similar extent, as well as yielding comparable decreases in diastolic blood pressure and total vascular resistance. Systolic blood pressure and aortic stiffness remained unaltered by either challenge. Independently of large artery hemodynamics, hyperglycemia impairs muscle microvascular blood flow, potentially limiting glucose disposal into skeletal muscle. The OGC reduced microvascular blood flow in muscle peripherally and therefore may underestimate the importance of skeletal muscle in postprandial glucose disposal.