Glucose metabolites in blood and adipose tissue of obese diabetic and non-diabetic subjects.

1. Glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, fructose diphosphate, glycerol phosphate and uridine diphosphate glucose have been measured in human adipose tissue and blood from obese subjects under fed and fasting conditions and in obese diabetic and non-diabetic subjects before and after an oral glucose load (100 g). 2. Adipose tissue metabolites expressed as nmol/g wet weight correlated inversely with adipocyte diameter. 3. After fasting, fructose diphosphate and glycerol phosphate in adipose tissue decreased significantly. 4. The basal concentrations of metabolites in blood and adipose tissue were maintained at similar concentrations in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects despite very different blood glucose concentrations. 5. The significant increase in adipose tissue glucose 6-phosphate after the glucose load seen in the non-diabetic but not in the diabetic subjects suggest that glucose uptake is decreased in the diabetic adipocyte.