Abstract
We have shown persistant endogenous hepatic glucose production during exogenous glucose infusion is characteristic of the newborn lamb. Glucose turnover at steady state glucose conc. falls to 0.56±1.08mg/kg/min (M±SEM, n=4) when glucose infusion reaches 22 mg/kg/min with a pl. insulin response of 270±108μU/ml. In order to separate pancreatic from hepatic responses to test the hypothesis that there is intrinsic hepatic insensitivity to insulin, 8 newborn sheep (age 4.4±1 d.) were infused with both glucose and insulin. Two hours after the initiation of a glucose infusion (6 mg/kg/min) a simultaneous infusion of sodium pork insulin was begun. After four hours of both, glucose turnover at steady state glucose conc. was determined by prime constant infusion with 3H6-glucose. 14CU-lactate was given to assess gluconeogenesis from labelled glucose. Control animals received 0.45% NaCl.
Insulin infusion diminished glucose production and gluconeogenesis in the newborn lamb at plasma insulin levels significantly higher than those required to produce glucose suppression in our older animals. The neonatal lamb liver is relatively insensitive to the glucoregulatory activity of insulin.
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Susa, J., Cowett, R., Oh, W. et al. HEPATIC INSENSITIVITY TO INSULIN IN THE NEONATAL LAMB. Pediatr Res 11, 522 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00914
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00914