Stimulation of insulin secretion by infusion of free fatty acids

• Text
• PDF

Abstract

The acute elevation of plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels by direct infusion of sodium oleate into the plasma of conscious dogs was accompanied by the rapid onset of a 2- to 12-fold increase in plasma immunoreactive insulin, and, subsequently, a marked fall in plasma glucose, even in dogs receiving intravenous glucose throughout the infusion. The magnitude of both the insulin and glucose responses correlated with the mean FFA level during infusion. A large increase in plasma insulin and fall in glucose also occurred when glycerol was infused with oleate in order to simulate endogenous lipolysis more closely. Insulin levels in pancreaticoduodenal vein blood rose markedly during oleate infusion, while plasma ketone levels rose only slightly.

Authors

Stephen R. Crespin, William B. Greenough III, Daniel Steinberg