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Biomedical subjects

A Consoli

Publications and source records attributed to A Consoli.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Contribution of liver and skeletal muscle to alanine and lactate metabolism in humans.

To quantitate alanine and lactate gluconeogenesis in postabsorptive humans and to test the hypothesis that muscle is the principal source of these precursors, we infused normal volunteers with [3-14C]lactate, [3-13C]alanine, and [6-3H]glucose and calculated alanine and lactate incorporation into plasma glucose corrected for tricarboxylic acid cycle carbon exchange, the systemic appearance of these substrates, and their forearm fractional extraction, uptake, and release. Forearm alanine and lactate fractional extraction averaged 37 +/- 3 and 27 +/- 2%, respectively; muscle alanine release (2.94 +/- 0.27 mumol.kg body wt-1.min-1) accounted for approximately 70% of its systemic appearance (4.18 +/- 0.31 mumol.kg body wt-1.min-1); muscle lactate release (5.51 +/- 0.42 mumol.kg body wt-1.min-1) accounted for approximately 40% of its systemic appearance (12.66 +/- 0.77 mumol.kg body wt-1.min-1); muscle alanine and lactate uptake (1.60 +/- 0.7 and 3.29 +/- 0.36 mumol.kg body wt-1.min-1, respectively) accounted for approximately 30% of their overall disappearance from plasma, whereas alanine and lactate incorporation into plasma glucose (1.83 +/- 0.20 and 4.24 +/- 0.44 mumol.kg body wt-1.min-1, respectively) accounted for approximately 50% of their disappearance from plasma. We therefore conclude that muscle is the major source of plasma alanine and lactate in postabsorptive humans and that factors regulating their release from muscle may thus exert an important influence on hepatic gluconeogenesis.

Alanine↗

Failure of substrate-induced gluconeogenesis to increase overall glucose appearance in normal humans. Demonstration of hepatic autoregulation without a change in plasma glucose concentration.

It has been proposed that increased supply of gluconeogenic precursors may be largely responsible for the increased gluconeogenesis which contributes to fasting hyperglycemia in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Therefore, to test the hypothesis that an increase in gluconeogenic substrate supply per se could increase hepatic glucose output sufficiently to cause fasting hyperglycemia, we infused normal volunteers with sodium lactate at a rate approximately double the rate of appearance observed in NIDDM while clamping plasma insulin, glucagon, and growth hormone at basal levels. In control experiments, sodium bicarbonate was infused instead of sodium lactate at equimolar rates. In both experiments, [6-3H]-glucose was infused to measure glucose appearance and either [U-14C]lactate or [U-14C]alanine was infused to measure the rates of appearance and conversion of these substrates into plasma glucose. Plasma insulin, glucagon, growth hormone, C-peptide, and glycerol concentrations, and blood bicarbonate and pH in control and lactate infusion experiments were not significantly different. Infusion of lactate increased plasma lactate and alanine to 4.48 +/- 3 mM and 610 +/- 33 microM, respectively, from baseline values of 1.6 +/- 0.2 mM and 431 +/- 28 microM, both P less than 0.01; lactate and alanine rates of appearance increased to 38 +/- 1.0 and 8.0 +/- 0.3 mumol/kg per min (P less than 0.01 versus basal rates of 14.4 +/- 0.4 and 5.0 +/- 0.5 mumol/kg per min, respectively). With correction for Krebs cycle carbon exchange, lactate incorporation into plasma glucose increased nearly threefold to 10.4 mumol/kg per min and accounted for about 50% of overall glucose appearance. Alanine incorporation into plasma glucose increased more than twofold. Despite this marked increase in gluconeogenesis, neither overall hepatic glucose output nor plasma glucose increased and each was not significantly different from values observed in control experiments (10.8 +/- 0.5 vs. 10.8 +/- 0.5 mumol/kg per min and 5.4 +/- 0.4 vs. 5.3 +/- 0.3 mM, respectively). We, therefore, conclude that in normal humans there is an autoregulatory process independent of changes in plasma glucose and glucoregulatory hormone concentrations which prevents a substrate-induced increase in gluconeogenesis from increasing overall hepatic glucose output; since this process cannot be explained on the basis of inhibition of gluconeogenesis from other substrates, it probably involves diminution of glycogenolysis. A defect in this process could explain at least in part the increased hepatic glucose output found in NIDDM.

Alanine↗

Mechanism of increased gluconeogenesis in noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Role of alterations in systemic, hepatic, and muscle lactate and alanine metabolism.

To assess the mechanisms responsible for increased gluconeogenesis in noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), we infused [3-14C]lactate, [3-13C]alanine, and [6-3H]glucose in 10 postabsorptive NIDDM subjects and in 9 age- and weight-matched nondiabetic volunteers and measured systemic appearance of alanine and lactate, their release from forearm tissues, and their conversion into plasma glucose (corrected for Krebs cycle carbon exchange). Systemic appearance of lactate and alanine were both significantly greater in diabetic subjects (18.2 +/- 0.9 and 5.8 +/- 0.4 mumol/kg/min, respectively) than in the nondiabetic volunteers (12.6 +/- 0.7 and 4.2 +/- 0.3 mumol/kg/min, respectively, P less than 0.001 and P less than 0.01). Conversions of lactate and alanine to glucose were also both significantly greater in NIDDM subjects (8.6 +/- 0.5 and 2.4 +/- 0.1 mumole/kg/min, respectively) than in nondiabetic volunteers (4.2 +/- 0.4 and 1.8 +/- 0.1 mumol/kg/min, respectively, P less than 0.001 and P less than 0.025). The proportion of systemic alanine appearance converted to glucose was not increased in NIDDM subjects (42.7 +/- 1.9 vs. 44.2 +/- 2.9% in nondiabetic volunteers), whereas the proportion of systemic lactate appearance converted to glucose was increased in NIDDM subjects (48.3 +/- 3.8 vs. 34.2 +/- 3.8% in nondiabetic volunteers, P less than 0.025); the latter increased hepatic efficiency accounted for approximately 40% of the increased lactate conversion to glucose. Neither forearm nor total body muscle lactate and alanine release was significantly different in NIDDM and nondiabetic volunteers. Therefore, we conclude that increased substrate delivery to the liver and increased efficiency of intrahepatic substrate conversion to glucose are both important factors for the increased gluconeogenesis of NIDDM and that tissues other than muscle are responsible for the increased delivery of gluconeogenic precursors to the liver.

Alanine↗

Fasting hyperglycemia normalizes oxidative and nonoxidative pathways of insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism in noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

The present studies were undertaken to determine whether fasting hyperglycemia can compensate for decreased insulin-stimulated glucose disposal, oxidation, and storage in noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) as well as to determine whether hyperglycemia normalizes insulin-stimulated skeletal muscle glycogen synthase and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activities. To accomplish this, we used the glucose clamp technique with isotopic determination of glucose disposal and indirect calorimetry for measuring the pathways of glucose metabolism, and vastus lateralis muscle biopsies to determine the effects of insulin on glycogen synthase and PDH activities. Nine patients with NIDDM and eight matched non-diabetic subjects were infused with insulin (40 mU/m2.min) while plasma glucose was maintained at the prevailing fasting concentration. During insulin infusion, rates of glucose disposal, storage, and oxidation were the same in the two groups. Insulin infusion significantly activated glycogen synthase fractional velocity to the same extent in NIDDM (0.210 +/- 0.056 vs. 0.332 +/- 0.079) and controls (0.192 +/- 0.036 vs. 0.294 +/- 0.050). Insulin infusion increased PDH fractional velocity in controls (from 0.281 +/- 0.022 to 0.404 +/- 0.038), but not in NIDDM (from 0.356 +/- 0.043 to 0.436 +/- 0.060), although the activity of PDH during insulin infusion did not differ between the groups. We conclude that prevailing fasting hyperglycemia normalizes the nonoxidative and oxidative pathways of insulin-stimulated glucose in metabolism in NIDDM and may act as a homeostatic mechanism to normalize muscle glucose metabolism.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2↗

Contribution of impaired muscle glucose clearance to reduced postabsorptive systemic glucose clearance in NIDDM.

The reduced postabsorptive rates of systemic glucose clearance in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) are thought to be the consequence of insulin resistance in peripheral tissues. Although the peripheral tissues involved have not been identified, it is generally assumed to be primarily muscle, the major site of insulin-mediated glucose disposal. To test this hypothesis, we measured postabsorptive systemic and forearm glucose utilization and clearance in 15 volunteers with NIDDM and 15 age- and weight-matched nondiabetic volunteers. Although systemic glucose utilization was increased in NIDDM subjects (14.5 +/- 0.5 vs. 11.2 +/- 0.2 mumol.kg-1.min-1, P less than 0.001), systemic glucose clearance was reduced 1.40 +/- 0.06 vs. 2.13 +/- 0.05 ml.kg-1.min-1, P less than 0.01). Although forearm glucose utilization was increased in NIDDM subjects (0.663 +/- 0.058 vs. 0.411 +/- 0.019 mumol.dl-1.min-1, P less than 0.001), forearm glucose dl-1 clearance was reduced (0.628 +/- 0.044 vs. 0.774 +/- 0.037 ml.L-1.min-1, P less than 0.01). However, extrapolation of forearm data to total-body muscle indicated that impaired clearance reduced muscle glucose disposal by only 61 +/- 21 mumol/min, whereas impaired systemic clearance reduced systemic glucose disposal by 662 +/- 82 mumol/min. Thus, impaired muscle glucose clearance accounted for less than 10% of the reduced systemic glucose clearance in NIDDM subjects. Therefore, we conclude that muscle insulin resistance plays only a minor role in the reduced systemic glucose clearance found in NIDDM in the postabsorptive state and propose that reduced brain glucose clearance is largely responsible.

Blood Glucose↗

Contribution of gluconeogenesis to overall glucose output in diabetic and nondiabetic men.

Increased hepatic glucose output is the main cause of fasting hyperglycemia in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Due to difficulties in obtaining a quantitative estimate of gluconeogenesis in vivo, the relative contribution of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis to this increased hepatic glucose output was unknown. The application in vivo of a new isotopic approach based on a mathematical model of the Krebs cycle enabled us to obtain a quantitative estimate of gluconeogenesis in vivo. Using this approach, gluconeogenesis was found to account for approximately 28% and approximately 97% of overall hepatic glucose output in healthy volunteers in the postabsorptive and in the fasted state respectively. When this technique was used to compare gluconeogenesis rates in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and nondiabetic patients, gluconeogenesis was found to be increased threefold in the patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (12.7 +/- 1.6 mu vs 3.6 +/- 0.6 mumol/Kg/min) and to be significantly correlated with fasting plasma glucose. Furthermore, the increase in gluconeogenesis could explain more than 80% of the increase in overall hepatic glucose output in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. In conclusion, in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, gluconeogenesis, as measured by a new isotopic technique, is increased and this increase represents the main cause for increased overall hepatic glucose output and fasting hyperglycemia.

Carbon Radioisotopes↗

Predominant role of gluconeogenesis in increased hepatic glucose production in NIDDM.

Excessive hepatic glucose output is an important factor in the fasting hyperglycemia of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). To determine the relative contributions of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis in a quantitative manner, we applied a new isotopic approach, using infusions of [6-3H]glucose and [2-14C]acetate to trace overall hepatic glucose output and phosphoenolpyruvate gluconeogenesis in 14 postabsorptive NIDDM subjects and in 9 nondiabetic volunteers of similar age and weight. Overall hepatic glucose output was increased nearly twofold in the NIDDM subjects (22.7 +/- 1.0 vs. 12.0 +/- 0.6 mumol.kg-1.min-1 in the nondiabetic volunteers, P less than .001); phosphoenolpyruvate gluconeogenesis was increased more than threefold in the NIDDM subjects (12.7 +/- 1.4 vs. 3.6 +/- 0.4 mumol.kg-1.min-1 in the nondiabetic subjects, P less than .001) and was accompanied by increased plasma lactate, alanine, and glucagon concentrations (all P less than .05). The increased phosphoenolpyruvate gluconeogenesis accounted for 89 +/- 6% of the increase in overall hepatic glucose output in the NIDDM subjects and was significantly correlated with the fasting plasma glucose concentrations (r = .67, P less than .01). Glycogenolysis, calculated as the difference between overall hepatic glucose output and phosphoenolpyruvate gluconeogenesis, was not significantly different in the NIDDM subjects (9.9 +/- 0.06 mumol.kg-1.min-1) and the nondiabetic volunteers (8.4 +/- 0.3 mumol.kg-1.min-1). We conclude that increased gluconeogenesis is the predominant mechanism responsible for increased hepatic glucose output in NIDDM.

Adult↗

Mechanism for underestimation of isotopically determined glucose disposal.

Use of [3H]glucose and a one-compartment model to determine glucose kinetics frequently underestimates the rate of glucose production (Ra). To assess to what extent an isotope effect, a tracer contaminant, or inadequacy of the model was responsible, we measured glucose Ra and forearm clearance of tracer and unlabeled glucose at various concentrations of plasma insulin (approximately 50, approximately 160, and approximately 1800 microU/ml) and plasma glucose (approximately 90, approximately 160, approximately 250, and approximately 400 mg/dl) under steady-state and non-steady-state conditions. Under isotopic steady-state conditions, the clearances of tracer and unlabeled glucose across the forearm were identical, and exogenous glucose infusion rates did not differ significantly from the isotopically determined glucose Ra (10.0 +/- 1.3 vs. 10.5 +/- 1.0 mg.kg-1 fat-free mass.min-1, respectively). However, under isotopic non-steady-state conditions, the isotopically determined Ra was significantly lower than the glucose infusion rate (11.5 +/- 1.3 vs. 13.7 +/- 1.5 mg.kg-1 fat-free mass.min-1, respectively, P less than .001), and the underestimation was related to the deviation from the isotopic steady state. When [3H]glucose specific activity of plasma samples from experiments with the greatest underestimation of Ra was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, less than 7% of the underestimation could be accounted for by a contaminant. These results indicate that inadequacy of the one-compartment model is responsible for underestimation of glucose Ra under non-steady-state conditions and that there is no detectable isotopic effect or appreciable contaminant of [3-3H]glucose. We conclude that under isotopic steady-state conditions, [3-3H]glucose is a reliable tracer for glucose kinetic studies in humans.

Adult↗

Isotopic estimation of plasma glucose conversion to plasma lactate using [6-3H]glucose and [6-14C]glucose.

To determine whether [6-3H]glucose could be used to quantitatively estimate the rate of plasma glucose conversion to plasma lactate, we compared the relative transfer of [3H] and [14C]plasma glucose to plasma lactate in nine postabsorptive anesthetized rats infused to isotopic steady state with [6-3H]glucose and [6-14C]glucose. Glucose turnover (mumol/kg/min) measured with [6-3H]glucose (29.4 +/- 1.7) and [6-14C]glucose (25.0 +/- 1.5), Cori cycle activity (4.35 +/- 0.79), and the percentage of plasma lactate derived from plasma glucose calculated from 14C-specific activities (59.8 +/- 5.8) were all comparable to previously reported values for the overnight fasted rat. Although the percentage of plasma lactate derived from plasma glucose calculated from 3H-specific activities (30.0 +/- 3.3) was only half that calculated from 14C-specific activities (P less than 0.001), the 3H:14C ratios were constant over a wide range of percentage of lactate derived from glucose (r = 0.95, P less than 0.001). We conclude that 3H-specific activity ratios of plasma lactate to plasma glucose cannot be directly used as a quantitative estimate of the percentage of plasma lactate derived from plasma glucose; however, correction for the apparent constant proportionality of detritiation of lactate relative to 14C loss could permit use of [6-3H]glucose for this purpose.

Animals↗

Rates of appearance and disappearance of plasma lactate after oral glucose: implications for indirect-pathway hepatic glycogen repletion in man.

3-14C-lactate and 6-3H-glucose were infused to determine rates of plasma lactate appearance (Ra), disappearance (Rd) and conversion to plasma glucose following ingestion of 75 g glucose in 10 healthy volunteers. Lactate Ra (mumol/kg/min) increased from 10.2 +/- 0.9 to a peak of 15.7 +/- 0.8 at 60 min (p less than 0.01). Lactate Rd increased from 10.2 +/- 0.9 to a peak of 15.9 +/- 4.2 at 120 min (p less than 0.001). During the 3-hour experiment, 15.0 +/- 1.1 g of lactate appeared in plasma, and 14.1 +/- 1.2 g disappeared from plasma. Of lactate Rd, approximately 20% (2.8 +/- 0.2 g) was converted to plasma glucose leaving a maximum 11.3 +/- 0.8 g lactate available for indirect-pathway glycogen synthesis. The present data indicate that in man the indirect pathway could account for about 40% of hepatic glycogen repletion via uptake of circulating gluconeogenic precursors.

Adult↗

Quantification of the glycolytic origin of plasma glycerol: implications for the use of the rate of appearance of plasma glycerol as an index of lipolysis in vivo.

To assess whether plasma glycerol could be directly derived from plasma glucose, nine postabsorptive dogs were infused with [U-14C] glucose and [2-3H] glycerol to measure the rates of appearance of plasma glucose and glycerol and the conversion of plasma glucose to glycerol before (basal) and after two hours of infusion of glucose (45 mumol/kg/min). Basally (plasma glucose 4.9 +/- 0.2 mmol/L; plasma insulin 5.9 +/- 0.2 microU/mL), rates of appearance of plasma glucose and glycerol were 20 +/- 2 and 5.9 +/- 1.3 mumol/kg/min, respectively, and 1.6 +/- 0.6% of plasma glycerol was derived from plasma glucose. After glucose infusion (plasma glucose 9.1 +/- 0.7 mmol/L; plasma insulin 21.1 +/- 1.9 microU/mL), the rate of appearance of plasma glycerol decreased 80% to 1.1 +/- 0.3 mumol/kg/min and the percent of plasma glycerol from glucose increased significantly to 6.9 +/- 2.9. However, the absolute rate of conversion of glucose to glycerol did not change (0.09 +/- 0.03 v 0.07 +/- 0.03 mumol/kg/min). We conclude that even under conditions of stimulated glycolysis and inhibited lipolysis, only a small amount of plasma glycerol is derived from plasma glucose. Thus, rates of appearance of plasma glycerol can be used as a measure of rates of overall lipolysis in vivo.

Animals↗

Determination of Krebs cycle metabolic carbon exchange in vivo and its use to estimate the individual contributions of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis to overall glucose output in man.

Current isotopic approaches underestimate gluconeogenesis in vivo because of Krebs cycle carbon exchange and the inability to measure intramitochondrial precursor specific activity. We therefore applied a new isotopic approach that theoretically overcomes these limitations and permits quantification of Krebs cycle carbon exchange and the individual contributions of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis to overall glucose output. [6-3H]Glucose was infused to measure overall glucose output; [2-14C]acetate was infused to trace phosphoenolpyruvate gluconeogenesis and to calculate Krebs cycle carbon exchange as proposed by Katz. Plasma [14C]3-OH-butyrate specific activity was used to estimate intramitochondrial acetyl coenzyme A (CoA) specific activity, and finally the ratio between plasma glucose 14C-specific activity and the calculated intracellular phosphoenolpyruvate 14C-specific activity was used to determine the relative contributions of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis to overall glucose output. Using this approach, acetyl CoA was found to enter the Krebs cycle at twice (postabsorptive subjects) and three times (2 1/2-d fasted subjects) the rate of pyruvate, respectively. Gluconeogenesis in postabsorptive subjects (3.36 +/- 0.20 mumol/kg per min) accounted for 28 +/- 2% of overall glucose output and increased twofold in subjects fasted for 2 1/2-d (P less than 0.01), accounting for greater than 97% of overall glucose output. Glycogenolysis in postabsorptive subjects averaged 8.96 +/- 0.40 mumol/kg per min and decreased to 0.34 +/- 0.08 mumol/kg per min (P less than 0.01) after a 2 1/2-d fast. Since these results agree well with previously reported values for gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis based on determinations of splanchnic substrate balance and glycogen content of serial liver biopsies, we conclude that the isotopic approach applied herein provides an accurate, noninvasive measurement of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis in vivo.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗

Comparison between monocomponent human insulin U-40 and U-100 in CSII treatment of type 1 diabetics.

A multicentric study has been carried out to compare the efficacy and the safety of monocomponent human insulins of different concentration (Novo Actrapid HM U-40 and U-100) in CSII-treated Type 1 diabetics. 15 males, all of whom had been diabetic for at least 2 yr, had been treated by CSII and were skillful in the self-monitoring of diabetes were selected for observation at 3 different clinical centres (Bologna, Chieti and Torino). After a 1-week period of insulin dose optimization, the patients were asked not to modify either basal or pre-prandial insulin infusion during the following 2 weeks in which they were treated alternately by U-40 or by U-100 insulin (7 days for each treatment in random sequence). Each day or at least every other day, patients recorded at home a 9-point blood glucose profile by means of glucose-sensitive strips and photometric reading (Reflocheck System-BOEHRINGER MANNHEIM, FRG). The patients used the microinfuser Miles Microjet Bolus 2 for the U-40 infusion and the same model with appropriate modifications for the U-100 infusion. On the last day of each study period, blood samples were drawn after the pre-breakfast insulin bolus. Paired Student's t-test analyses between blood glucose values obtained with different regimens did not show a significant difference in metabolic control. Similarly no difference could be observed in insulin absorption after an identical bolus of U-40 or U-100 insulin. In conclusion human U-100 insulin seems to be as effective and safe as U-40 and is recommended in order to reduce the size of microinfusers.

Adult↗