Effects of free fatty acids and ketone bodies on in vivo non-insulin-mediated glucose utilization and production in humans.

The current study was undertaken to examine the effect of an acute elevation of serum levels of free fatty acids (FFA) and ketone bodies (KB) on non-insulin-mediated glucose uptake (NIMGU) in humans. The study group consisted of 11 healthy men, mean age (+/- SD) 30 (+/- 7) years and mean weight (+/- SD) 72 (+/- 7) kg. To examine the effects of FFA levels on NIMGU and insulin-mediated glucose uptake (IMGU), glucose uptake was measured isotopically (3H-3-glucose) in six subjects on four separate days during saline infusion or lipid + heparin infusion with concomitant infusions of somatostatin (SHIF, 0.16 micrograms/kg/min) with or without insulin infusion (40 mU/m2/min) while the serum glucose level was clamped at approximately 11 mmol/L. To examine the effect of KB on NIMGU, saline or sodium acetoacetate (20 mumol/kg/min) was infused in five subjects on separate days during SRIF-induced insulinopenia while the serum glucose level was clamped sequentially at euglycemia and at approximately 11 mmol/L. During insulinopenia basal FFA levels rose twofold during saline infusion and sixfold during infusion of lipid + heparin. Rates of NIMGU were 2.49 +/- 0.27 v 2.41 +/- 0.14 mg/kg/min during saline and lipid infusion, respectively (P = NS). Rates of IMGU were decreased by 55% during lipid + heparin infusion. During insulinopenia basal beta-hydroxybutyrate (BOB) levels rose twofold during saline and approximately 11-fold during sodium acetoacetate infusion. Rates of NIMGU were unchanged by the sodium acetoacetate infusion at euglycemia and hyperglycemia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)