Glucose clamping using the Biostator GCIIS.

The Biostator GCIIS was used to clamp circulating glucose at hypoglycemic (42 +/- 1 mg/dl), euglycemic (86 +/- 2 mg/dl), and hyperglycemic (142 +/- 1 mg/dl) levels in normal subjects during a concomitant infusion of insulin (0.1 U/kg/h). Because of limitations in maximal glucose infusion (1 g/min) from the Biostator, a supplementary infusion of glucose was required to accomplish euglycemic and hyperglycemic clamps. The coefficients of variation of blood glucose were 7.06 +/- 1.3%, 5.9 +/- 0.5%, and 6.1 +/- 0.9 for 120 minutes of hypoglycemic, euglycemic, and hyperglycemic clamps, respectively. Despite the occasional interruption of blood flow in the double-lumen catheter and the occasional poor correlation between Biostator and reference glucose method, satisfactory glucose clamps could be maintained for 2 hours.