Summary
The aim of the present work was to study the effects of experimental changes in plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels on basal insulin (IRI) concentration and onβ cell response to IV glucose, tolbutamide or glucagon in man. Each of the 53 subjects tested was studied on two separate occasions: i) in the basal state; ii) after an experimental decrease or increase in plasma FFA levels induced, respectively, by administration of nicotinic acid or the combination of a fat meal and heparin. The lowering of plasma FFA resulted in a small but significant fall in basal insulin concentration and in a 30% decrease in. IRI response whatever the insulinotropic agent used. On the other hand, experimental elevation of plasma FFA enhanced pancreatic response to glucose (+178%) and tolbutamide (+58%), but did not alter significantly the IRI response to glucagon. Both the increase and the decrease in FFA concentration resulted in a reduction in the rate of glucose assimilation. — These results provide arguments for a role of plasma FFA in the control of insulin secretion and of insulin sensitivity in man.
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Work partially carried out under contract of the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique Médicale (n∘ 20193) and under contract of the Ministère de la Politique Scientifique within the framework of the Association Euratom-University of Brussels — University of Pisa.
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Balasse, E.O., Ooms, H.A. Hole of plasma free fatty acids in the control of insulin secretion in man. Diabetologia 9, 145–151 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01230695
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01230695