Insulin resistance and carbohydrate oxidation in patients with chemical diabetes

In six patients with chemical diabetes, insulin resistance was assessed by the steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) level during a constant infusion of epinephrine, propranolol, glucose and insulin. During the infusion, the patients had elevated SSPG levels (174 +/- 20 mg/100 ml), compared with six control subjects (96 +/- 3 mg/100 ml, p less than 0.005), demonstrating increased insulin resistance. However, during the infusion, the rate of carbohydrate oxidation was similar in both groups. These results suggest that when insulinemia is controlled, the plasma glucose concentration in chemical diabetics during glucose infusion reaches hyperglycemic levels allowing normalisation of carbohydrate oxidation. Hyperglycemia can thus be considered to be a regulatory mechanism favouring glucose uptake and oxidation in patients with chemical diabetes.