Studies of high and low insulin responders with the hyperglycemic clamp technique

We have investigated insulin responsiveness in relation to insulin sensitivity during sequential hyperglycemic clamping in low insulin responders (LIR), high insulin responders (HIR) and in women with a history of gestational diabetes (GD). Designation of HIR and LIR was done on the basis of mathematical modeling of the insulin response to a glucose infusion test. Insulin sensitivity was determined by a somatostatin-insulin-glucose infusion test (SIGIT) according to which LIR were subdivided into groups with higher or lesser sensitivity. Hyperglycemic clamping (60 min, 11 mmol/L of glucose) induced diphasic insulin and C-peptide responses in all groups. Insulin and C-peptide responses were significantly higher in HIR than in other groups. The ratio of first phase to total insulin response was higher in HIR v GD but did not differ between other groups. A second identical clamp was performed after a 60-minute rest period. Except in HIR, insulin levels attained were then moderately but significantly higher than during the first clamp. Conversely, the glucose utilization (mg/kg/min) to insulin (mU/L) = M/L ratio was markedly increased in LIR with high insulin sensitivity but not in other groups. We conclude that (1) large and consistent differences exist in glucose-induced insulin secretion from the pancreas between nondiabetic subjects; (2) time dynamics of insulin secretion and priming effects of glucose are similar in LIR with lesser and higher sensitivity; and (3) in the latter group a glucose stress affects insulin sensitivity more markedly than insulin responsiveness.