Reduction of glycemic potentiation. Sensitive indicator of beta-cell loss in partially pancreatectomized dogs.

To determine which test of islet function is the most sensitive indicator of subclinical beta-cell loss, we studied six conscious dogs before and 1 and 6 wk after removal of the splenic and uncinate lobes [64 +/- 2% pancreatectomy (PX)]. To assess hyperglycemic potentiation, acute insulin secretory responses (AIR) to 5 g i.v. arginine were measured at the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level after PG was clamped at approximately 250 mg/dl and after PG was clamped at a maximally potentiating level of 550-650 mg/dl. FPG levels were unaffected by PX (112 +/- 4 mg/dl pre-PX vs. 115 +/- 5 mg/dl 6 wk after PX, P NS). Similarly, basal insulin levels remained constant after PX (11 +/- 2 microU/ml pre-PX vs. 11 +/- 1 microU/ml 6 wk after PX, P NS). The AIR to 300 mg/kg i.v. glucose decreased slightly from 42 +/- 9 microU/ml pre-PX to 32 +/- 5 microU/ml 6 wk after PX (P NS), and thus the beta-cell loss was underestimated. In contrast, insulin responses to arginine declined markedly after PX. The AIR to arginine obtained at FPG levels declined from 23 +/- 3 microU/ml pre-PX to 13 +/- 2 microU/ml 6 wk after PX (P = .04). The AIR to arginine obtained at PG levels of approximately 250 mg/dl declined even more, from a pre-PX value of 56 +/- 7 microU/ml to 21 +/- 4 microU/ml 6 wk after PX (P = .02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)