We concluded that eating a fatty meal induces vasodilation and increases resting and stimulated FBF and that these observations are probably mediated by postprandial changes in insulin and/or triglyceride levels. The metabolic changes that occur after meals are not associated with impaired endothelial nitric oxide release in the conduit arteries.

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A fatty meal induces vasodilatation (of both resting and stimulated forearm flow) in healthy young adults, an effect most likely mediated by the vasodilator actions of insulin. We therefore hypothesized that an impaired meal-related vascular response might be an in vivo marker of vascular insulin resistance, related to the presence of diabetes and/or higher age. Postprandial vascular responses were assessed in three groups of subjects: 15 Type 2 diabetic subjects (age 58 +/- 8 yr), 15 age-, gender-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched older control subjects (age 57 +/- 9 yr), and 15 healthy young control subjects (age 33 +/- 7 yr). Studies were carried out before and 3 and 6 h after a standardized high-fat meal (1,030 kcal, 61 g fat). Forearm microvascular flows were measured by strain gauge plethysmography and large-artery function by ultrasound. Resting blood flow and hyperemic area under curve (AUC) flow were not significantly different in diabetic subjects (resting 117 +/- 42% and AUC 134 +/- 46% of premeal values) compared with age-matched controls (resting 131 +/- 39% and AUC 134 +/- 47%); however, the response in diabetic subjects was blunted compared with young controls (resting 171 +/- 67% and AUC 173 +/- 99% of premeal values; P = 0.02 and P = 0.18, respectively). On multiple regression analysis, we found that increasing age (but not BMI or diabetes) was significantly associated with impaired postprandial vascular responses (resting: r = -0.4, P = 0.002; AUC: r = -0.4, P = 0.006). Therefore, meal ingestion results in impaired vasodilator responses in older nondiabetic and diabetic adults, related to aging rather than insulin resistance.

Amino acid (AA) status is determined by factors including nutrition, metabolic rate, and interactions between the metabolism of AA, carbohydrates, and lipids. Analysis of the plasma AA profile, together with markers of glucose and lipid metabolism, will shed light on metabolic regulation. The objectives of this study were to investigate the acute responses to the consumption of meals containing either pork (PM) or chicken (CM), and to identify relationships between plasma AA and markers of glycemic and lipemic control. A secondary aim was to explore AA predictors of plasma zinc concentrations. Ten healthy adults participated in a postprandial study on two separate occasions. In a randomized cross-over design, participants consumed PM or CM. The concentrations of 21 AA, glucose, insulin, triglycerides, nonesterified fatty acids, and zinc were determined over 5 hours postprandially. The meal composition did not influence glucose, insulin, triglyceride, nonesterified fatty acid, or zinc concentrations. Plasma histidine was higher following the consumption of PM (P=0.014), with consistently higher changes observed after 60 minutes (P<0.001). Greater percentage increases were noted at limited time points for valine and leucine + isoleucine in those who consumed CM compared to PM. In linear regression, some AAs emerged as predictors of the metabolic responses, irrespective of the meal that was consumed. The present study demonstrates that a single meal of PM or CM produces a differential profile of AA in the postprandial state. The sustained increase in histidine following the consumption of a PM is consistent with the reported effects of lean pork on cardiometabolic risk factors.