Diabetes Care, Vol 16, Issue 8 1158-1166, Copyright © 1993 by American Diabetes Association
Metabolic pathways of glucose in skeletal muscle of lean NIDDM patients
DE Kelley, M Mokan and LJ Mandarino
Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
OBJECTIVE--To characterize the ability of insulin to activate the skeletal
muscle metabolic pathways of glucose storage, oxidation, and glycolysis in
normal weight patients with NIDDM and nondiabetic volunteer subjects
closely matched for age, sex, relative weight, and body composition.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--Ten patients with NIDDM (body mass index 23.9
+/- 0.74 kg/m2) and 8 nondiabetic volunteer subjects (body mass index 23.4
+/- 0.41 kg/m2) were studied. Leg muscle glucose uptake, non-oxidized
glycolysis, glucose oxidation, and glucose storage were determined during
euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp experiments using the leg balance
technique combined with leg indirect calorimetry. Percutaneous muscle
biopsies were obtained to assay insulin stimulation of muscle glycogen
synthase activity as a biochemical marker of insulin action.
RESULTS--During hyperinsulinemic clamp experiments, leg glucose uptake was
equivalent in NIDDM patients and nondiabetic subjects (6.38 +/- 1.14 vs.
6.41 +/- 0.73 mumol.min-1 x 100 ml tissue-1), as were rates of leg glucose
oxidation (1.63 +/- 0.25 vs. 2.14 +/- 0.17 mumol.min-1 x 100 ml tissue-1)
and leg glucose storage (4.35 +/- 1.10 vs. 3.48 +/- 0.65 mumol.min-1 x 100
ml tissue-1). The combined net balance of lactate and Ala (non-oxidized
glycolysis) was lower in NIDDM patients (-0.39 +/- 0.06 vs. -0.79 +/- 0.11
mumol.min-1 x 100 ml tissue-1, P = 0.01). Muscle glycogen synthase was
activated to a similar extent during the hyperinsulinemic clamp in NIDDM
patients and nondiabetic volunteer subjects, through basal glycogen
synthase activity was lower in NIDDM patients. Nondiabetic subjects and
NIDDM patients who were withdrawn from sulfonylurea therapy had impaired
insulin secretion during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, with similar
basal levels as nondiabetic subjects (54 +/- 12 vs. 42 +/- 6 pM), but
reduced peak insulin levels (126 +/- 30 vs. 468 +/- 102 pM, P < 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS--Detailed in vivo and in vitro assessment of insulin regulation
of skeletal muscle glucose metabolism in lean NIDDM patients indicates that
insulin action is intact in the muscle tissue of these patients.