Hyperinsulinemia is a common finding in obesity and results from insulin hypersecretion and impaired hepatic insulin extraction. In vitro studies have shown that free fatty acids (FFAs), which are often elevated in obesity, can impair insulin binding and degradation in isolated rat hepatocytes. To investigate whether FFAs impair hepatic insulin extraction (E(H)) in vivo, either saline (SAL) or 10% Intralipid (0.03 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)) plus heparin (0.44 U x kg(-1) x min(-1)) (IH) was infused into normal dogs to elevate FFA levels. Insulin was infused intraportally at 18 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1) for 150 min (period A, high insulin dose), and then at 2.4 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1) for another 150 min (period B, low insulin dose). After the low portal insulin dose, additional insulin was infused peripherally at 8.4 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1) for 120 min (period C) to assess the clearance of insulin from the peripheral plasma. In 16 paired experiments, FFA levels were 1,085 +/- 167, 1,491 +/- 240, 1,159 +/- 221 micromol/l (IH) and 221 +/- 44, 329 +/- 72, 176 +/- 44 micromol/l (SAL) in periods A, B, and C, respectively. Peripheral insulin levels were greater with IH (P < 0.001) than with SAL in all periods (1,620 +/- 114, 126 +/- 12, 1,050 +/- 72 pmol/l for IH vs. 1,344 +/- 168, 96 +/- 4.2, 882 +/- 60 pmol/l for SAL). Glucose clearance was impaired by IH in all periods (P < 0.05), whereas glucose production was slightly increased by IH during period B. Peripheral insulin clearance (Cl) and E(H) were calculated from the insulin infusion rate and insulin concentration data in each period by taking into account the nonlinearity of insulin kinetics. Cl was lower (P < 0.01) with IH (9.6 +/- 0.6, 12.0 +/- 0.9, 10.2 +/- 0.6 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)) than with SAL (11.2 +/- 1, 13.6 +/- 0.7, 11.9 +/- 0.9 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)) in periods A, B, and C. E(H) was also lower (P < 0.05) with IH (25 +/- 4, 40 +/- 5, 32 +/- 5%) than with SAL (30 +/- 2.8, 47 +/- 3, 38 +/- 3%). We conclude that FFAs can impair hepatic insulin extraction in vivo at high and low insulin levels, an effect that may contribute to the peripheral hyperinsulinemia of obesity.

To determine whether glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 increases insulin sensitivity in addition to stimulating insulin secretion, we studied totally depancreatized dogs to eliminate GLP-1's incretin effect. Somatostatin was infused (0.8 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1)) to inhibit extrapancreatic glucagon in dogs, and basal glucagon was restored by intraportal infusion (0.65 ng x kg(-1) x min(-1)). To simulate the residual intraportal insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes, basal intraportal insulin infusion was given to obtain plasma glucose concentrations of approximately 10 mmol/l. Glucose was clamped at this level for the remainder of the experiment, which included peripheral insulin infusion (high dose, 5.4 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1), or low dose, 0.75 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1)) with or without GLP-1(7-36) amide (1.5 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1)). Glucose production and utilization were measured with 3-[3H]glucose, using radiolabeled glucose infusates. In 12 paired experiments with six dogs at the high insulin dose, GLP-1 infusion resulted in higher glucose requirements than saline (60.9+/-11.0 vs. 43.6+/-8.3 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1), P< 0.001), because of greater glucose utilization (72.6+/-11.0 vs. 56.8+/-9.7 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1), P<0.001), whereas the suppression of glucose production was not affected by GLP-1. Free fatty acids (FFAs) were significantly lower with GLP-1 than saline (375.3+/-103.0 vs. 524.4+/-101.1 micromol/l, P<0.01), as was glycerol (77.9+/-17.5 vs. 125.6+/-51.8 micromol/l, P<0.05). GLP-1 receptor gene expression was found using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction of poly(A)-selected RNA in muscle and adipose tissue, but not in liver. Low levels of GLP-1 receptor gene expression were also found in adipose tissue using Northern blotting. In 10 paired experiments with five dogs at the low insulin dose, GLP-1 infusion did not affect glucose utilization or FFA and glycerol suppression when compared with saline, suggesting that GLP-1's effect on insulin action was dependent on the insulin dose. In conclusion, in depancreatized dogs, GLP-1 potentiates insulin-stimulated glucose utilization, an effect that might be contributed in part by GLP-1 potentiation of insulin's antilipolytic action.

Insulin inhibits glucose production by a direct effect in diabetic depancreatized dogs during euglycemia. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 283: E1002-E1007, 2002; 10.1152/ ajpendo.00091.2002.-In our previous studies in nondiabetic dogs and humans, insulin suppressed glucose production (GP) by both an indirect extrahepatic and a direct hepatic effect. However, insulin had no direct effect on GP in diabetic depancreatized dogs under conditions of moderate hyperglycemia. The present study was designed to investigate whether insulin can inhibit GP by a direct effect in this model under conditions of euglycemia. Depancreatized dogs were made euglycemic (ϳ6 mmol/l), rather than moderately hyperglycemic (ϳ10 mmol/l) as in our previous studies, by basal portal insulin infusion. After ϳ100 min of euglycemia, a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp was performed by giving an additional infusion of insulin either portally (POR) or peripherally at about one-half the rate (½ PER) to match the peripheral venous insulin concentrations. The greater hepatic insulin load in POR resulted in greater suppression of GP (from 16.5 Ϯ 1.8 to 12.2 Ϯ 1.6 mol ⅐ kg Ϫ1 ⅐ min Ϫ1 ) than ½ PER (from 17.8 Ϯ 1.9 to 15.6 Ϯ 2.0 mol ⅐ kg Ϫ1 ⅐ min Ϫ1 , P Ͻ 0.001 vs. POR), consistent with insulin having a direct hepatic effect in suppressing GP. We conclude that the direct effect of insulin to inhibit GP is present in diabetic depancreatized dogs under conditions of acutely induced euglycemia. These results suggest that, in diabetes, the prevailing glycemic level is a determinant of the balance between insulin's direct and indirect effects on GP.peripheral and hepatic effects of insulin; direct and indirect effects of insulin; hyperglycemia; free fatty acids INSULIN HAS A STRONG INHIBITORY EFFECT on glucose production (GP). This inhibition is in part direct, i.e., due to hepatic sinusoidal insulin's interaction with the hepatocyte insulin receptor (18,19,28,29,31,32), and in part indirect, due to peripheral insulin's actions on extrahepatic tissues (1,18,19,23,28,29,31,32). These actions consist mainly of the antilipolytic effect of insulin in the adipose tissue (16,17,24,25,30). In nondiabetic animals and humans, the importance of either the direct or the indirect regulation of GP by insulin has been differently emphasized (2, 4). Undoubtedly, however, under normal physiological conditions, the impact on GP of even a small direct effect of insulin is magnified by the greater hepatic than peripheral insulinization.Individuals with type 1 diabetes are treated with subcutaneous injections of insulin, which result in peripheral absorption of insulin and thus a level of hepatic insulinization that is not greater than peripheral insulinization. To the extent that the direct effect of insulin plays a role in the suppression of GP, peripheral hyperinsulinemia should be required to elevate the hepatic sinusoidal levels to adequately suppress GP. Because hyperinsulinemia has been associated with atherosclerosis (27) and recently also with some types of cancer (11), ...

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To determine whether the predominant effect of insulin in suppressing tracer-determined glucose production (Ra) is hepatic or peripheral, we infused insulin peripherally (PER) and portally (POR) at both low (0.75 pmol ⋅ kg−1 ⋅ min−1) and high physiological rates (2.7 pmol ⋅ kg−1 ⋅ min−1) during euglycemic clamps in normal dogs. We also infused insulin peripherally at one-half these rates (1/2 PER) to match the peripheral insulin levels in POR and thus obtain a selective POR vs. 1/2 PER difference in hepatic insulin levels. At the high-rate insulin infusion, peripheral insulin levels were greatest with PER (PER = 212 ± 10 pM, n = 5; POR = 119 ± 5 pM, n = 6; 1/2 PER = 122 ± 5 pM, n = 6). Calculated hepatic insulin levels were greatest with POR (POR = 227 ± 13 pM, PER = 206 ± 19 pM, 1/2 PER = 123 ± 8 pM). High-dose PER yielded a greater suppression of Ra than POR (79 ± 18 vs. 56 ± 6%, P < .001). Ra was only suppressed by 45 ± 6% with 1/2 PER ( P< 0.01 vs. POR on 6 paired experiments). Free fatty acid (FFA) was suppressed by 57 ± 8% with PER and only by 33 ± 5 and 37 ± 2% with POR and 1/2 PER, respectively. The low-dose PER and POR yielded an equal Ra suppression (PER = 46 ± 9%, POR = 43 ± 4%). Only 1/2 PER was associated with a lower suppression of Ra (36 ± 8, P < 0.05 vs. POR). FFA showed similar suppression in all three groups (∼25%). Using both insulin infusion rates, the percent Ra suppression per unit difference in peripheral insulin was approximately twofold greater than that per unit difference in hepatic insulin. These results suggest that, during euglycemic clamps without somatostatin in normal dogs, Ra suppression is mediated by both peripheral and hepatic effects of insulin and that peripheral insulin, at least at high physiological infusion rates, is more potent than hepatic insulin in suppressing Ra.