Delayed onset of insulin activation of the insulin receptor kinase in vivo in human skeletal muscle.

During the infusion of insulin in vivo, the rate of activation of glucose disposal lags significantly behind the rate of increase in serum insulin levels. To determine whether this delay was related to transcapillary transport of insulin, we determined increments in serum insulin levels, glucose disposal rates (GDR), and insulin receptor (IR) kinase activity measured during continuous infusions of insulin (40 and 120 mU.m-2.min-1) administered to 8 nondiabetic males; similar studies were done at 1,200.m-2.min-1 in 2 of the subjects. Half-maximal insulin levels were achieved at a mean of 4.9 and 7.2 min during the 40 and 120 mU.m-2.min-1 clamps, respectively, with corresponding half-maximal GDR stimulation at a mean of 59 and 47 min. Unlike the rise in insulin levels, IR kinase activation was much slower with half-maximal activity occurring at approximately 40-60 min in the 2 clamps. Thus, the rise in serum insulin levels in each clamp was much faster than the increment in either kinase activity or glucose disposal. Insulin infusion increased both IR kinase and GDR maximally approximately 10-fold, with half-maximal stimulation at approximately 3,600 and approximately 700 pM, indicating spare kinase for glucose disposal. These results demonstrate that the delay in stimulation of glucose disposal by insulin is related to a rate-limiting step between the intravascular space and the cell-surface of skeletal muscle. This may involve delayed transendothelial transport of insulin.