Diabetes, Vol 43, Issue 1 118-126, Copyright © 1994 by American Diabetes Association
Delayed onset of insulin activation of the insulin receptor kinase in vivo in human skeletal muscle
GR Freidenberg, S Suter, RR Henry, J Nolan, D Reichart and JM Olefsky
Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla.
During the infusion of insulin in vivo, the rate of activation of glucose
disposal lags significantly behind the rate of increase in serum insulin
levels. To determine whether this delay was related to transcapillary
transport of insulin, we determined increments in serum insulin levels,
glucose disposal rates (GDR), and insulin receptor (IR) kinase activity
measured during continuous infusions of insulin (40 and 120 mU.m-2.min-1)
administered to 8 nondiabetic males; similar studies were done at
1,200.m-2.min-1 in 2 of the subjects. Half-maximal insulin levels were
achieved at a mean of 4.9 and 7.2 min during the 40 and 120 mU.m-2.min-1
clamps, respectively, with corresponding half-maximal GDR stimulation at a
mean of 59 and 47 min. Unlike the rise in insulin levels, IR kinase
activation was much slower with half-maximal activity occurring at
approximately 40-60 min in the 2 clamps. Thus, the rise in serum insulin
levels in each clamp was much faster than the increment in either kinase
activity or glucose disposal. Insulin infusion increased both IR kinase and
GDR maximally approximately 10-fold, with half-maximal stimulation at
approximately 3,600 and approximately 700 pM, indicating spare kinase for
glucose disposal. These results demonstrate that the delay in stimulation
of glucose disposal by insulin is related to a rate-limiting step between
the intravascular space and the cell-surface of skeletal muscle. This may
involve delayed transendothelial transport of insulin.