Tubular Secretory Clearance Is Associated With Whole-Body Insulin Clearance

The kidneys eliminate insulin via glomerular and peritubular mechanisms; consequently, the kidney contribution to insulin clearance may be underestimated by the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) alone.

To determine associations of tubular secretory clearance with whole-body insulin clearance and sensitivity in a dedicated study of glucose and insulin metabolism.

We performed an ancillary, cross-sectional study of tubular secretion in the Study of Glucose and Insulin in Renal Disease (SUGAR). Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps were performed in 57 nondiabetic persons with chronic kidney disease and 38 persons without kidney disease.

We measured plasma and 24-hour urine concentrations of endogenous solutes primarily eliminated by tubular secretion. Kidney clearances of secretory solutes were calculated as the amount of blood fully cleared of that solute per minute.

Whole-body insulin clearance, insulin sensitivity.

Mean whole-body insulin clearance was 924 ± 228 mL/min. After adjustment for age, sex, Black race, fat and fat-free mass, each 20% lower estimated GFR was associated with a 13 mL/min lower insulin clearance (95% confidence interval [CI], 2-24 mL/min lower). Each 20% lower clearance of isovalerylglycine and xanthosine were associated with a 16 mL/min lower (95% CI, 5-26 mL/min lower) and 19 mL/min lower (95% CI, 7-31 mL/min lower) insulin clearance, respectively. Neither estimated GFR nor secretory solute clearances were associated with insulin sensitivity after adjustment.

These results highlight the importance of tubular secretory pathways to insulin elimination but suggest that kidney functions in aggregate contribute only modestly to systemic insulin clearance.