Insulin dose-dependent reductions in plasma amino acids in man

The quantitative relationship between insulin and plasma amino acid (AA) levels were characterized in five healthy young men during euglycemic insulin infusions (6, 10, 30, and 400 mU . m-2 . min-1). The endogenous production and disposal of glucose were determined for the 6 mU . m-2 . min-1 insulin infusion using 6,6-dideuteroglucose. While 8 of 10 AA decreased in a dose-responsive pattern to increasing levels of insulin, alanine and glycine concentrations remained unaffected. For isoleucine and proline, the insulin levels required for a half-maximal response were less than for glucose disposal (P less than 0.05), but, for all other insulin-influenced AA, the levels required were similar to those for glucose disposal. These studies indicate that insulin sensitivity of AA is similar to that of glucose disposal and that AA responses to insulin exhibit a physiologically relevant, dose-response relationship.