The measurement of glucose turnover and oxidation using radioactive and stable isotopes

Isotopes have become the best means for investigating glucose kinetics in vivo. With the recent greater availability of stable isotopes there has developed a need to understand how data may be obtained from the use of both radioactive and stable glucose tracers. Described for the nonexpert is the calculation of glucose appearance and disappearance, clearance and oxidation using both stable and radioactive glucose isotopes, administered both by bolus and primed constant infusion and under both steady and nonsteady state conditions. Other substrates may be studied using similar methodology. The use of stable substrate isotopes will be an expanding field of metabolic research in man.