Effect of prolonged exercise on insulin level in the portal and peripheral venous circulation in rats

The purpose of the present study was to compare the plasma insulin levels in portal and peripheral veins in rats submitted to a prolonged exercise to exhaustion (mean +/- SE: 67 +/- 7 min). Plasma insulin levels were reduced significantly (p less than 0.01) during exercise in both the portal and peripheral venous circulation. The reduction was, however, more pronounced in the portal than in the peripheral vein (mean: -113 vs -64 and -162 vs -88 pmol.l-1 after 30 and 45 min of exercise, respectively), indicating that exercise reduced not only insulin secretion but also its removal. Accordingly, no significant differences were found for the portal/peripheral ratio of insulin at rest and during the first 45 min of exercise (1.86 +/- 0.2, 1.76 +/- 0.1, and 1.57 +/- 0.2 at rest, and after 30 and 45 min of exercise, respectively). This suggests that insulin removal during exercise is regulated in proportion to portal insulin concentrations.