The Effect of Vasopressin Infusion on Glucose Metabolism in Man

Abstract

Studies on intact animals and isolated rat hepatocytes have shown that arginine vasopression (AVP) stimulates glycogen phosphorylase to break down glycogen and raise plasma glucose concentrations. Since no similar work has been performed on healthy human adults, the effect of moderate (25 pmol/min) and high (75 pmol/min) dose AVP infusion on plasma glucose, intermediary metabolites, glucose kinetics, and circulating glucagon and insulin concentrations was investigated. After AVP infusion, plasma glucose rose from 4.9 +/- 0.1 to a peak of 5.7 +/- 0.2 mmol/l (P less than 0.001), but no changes in blood lactate, pyruvate, alanine, glycerol or 3-hydroxybutyrate concentrations were observed. The glucose rise was accounted for entirely by an increase in the rate of appearance of glucose from 11.19 +/- 0.43 to 13.38 +/- 0.63 mu mol/kg/min (P less than 0.001). Infusion of AVP also increased plasma glucagon concentrations from 38 +/- 8 to 79 +/- 20 pg/l (P less than 0.01). The hyperglycaemic effect of AVP may be mediated solely by stimulation of glucagon release, but we cannot exclude direct stimulation of glycogen phosphorylase activity.

Vasopressin and hydration play a major role in the development of glucose intolerance and hepatic steatosis in obese rats

“…An increasing body of data suggests that VP may play a part in glucose homeostasis, besides its well-defined role in urine concentration and body water homeostasis. Acute VP infusion in the rat and in healthy individuals was shown to induce a transient rise in blood glucose concentration [4][5][6]. Ex vivo studies showed that VP stimulates gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis through the activation of hepatic arginine VP receptor 1A (V1aR), and the release of either glucagon or insulin, depending on concomitant extracellular glucose levels, through the activation of arginine vasopressin receptor 1B (V1bR) in pancreatic islets [7][8][9].…”

Copeptin (CTproAVP), a new tool for understanding the role of vasopressin in pathophysiology

“…AVP levels are markedly increased in patients with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus [8] and AVP infusion leads to increased blood glucose levels in healthy subjects [9]. AVP predicts diabetes mellitus independently of a broad range of established diabetes risk factors [10].…”

Vasopressin V1a and V1b Receptors: From Molecules to Physiological Systems

“…With regard to the first possible mechanism, the central AVP/V1a receptor signal in the CNS regulates hepatic glucose production. AVP administration into the NTS or cisterna magna induced hyperglycemia (347,464,542). It has also been reported that AVP stimulates GABAergic neurons in vitro (214) and that GABAergic neurons suppress hepatic glucose production (259).…”