Reappraisal of the role of insulin in hypertriglyceridemia.

Plasma endogenous triglyceride transport has been measured in 74 adult patients with different types of diabetes and compared to similar data obtained in 35 healthy normoglyceridemic control subjects. The diabetic material was divided into subgroups by a number of criteria including ketoacidosis, insulin-dependence, relative body weight, control of blood glucose, and severity of hypertriglyceridemia. In ketoacidosis, a marked elevation of plasma triglyceride production rate was the rule, and this probably accounted for the moderate hypertriglyceridemia even though the fractional transport was simultaneously lowered. In uncontrolled but nonketotic juvenile-type diabetes the mean plasma triglyceride turnover rate and concentration were both significantly increased while the fractional turnover was in most cases within normal range. When the disease was brought into good control by insulin the production rate decreased but not completely in line with blood glucose. Patients with adult-onset-type diabetes showed also an increase of triglyceride turnover rate, and the magnitude of hypertriglyceridemia was consistent with this increment so that most patients were “on line” of the enzyme kinetic Michaelis curves extrapolated from the normal material. On the other hand, of nonketotic diabetics with severe hyperglyceridemia (more than 4.0 mM) some had an increased turnover rate, while others were characterized by a normal production rate. Therefore, it is probable that one minor group of diabetics has a true removal defect, while in other forms of diabetes, the hypertriglyceridemia, if present, is primarily due to enhanced hepatic secretion of triglycerides into plasma. The exogenous fat tolerance was tested in 15 uncontrolled diabetics and 10 control subjects with intravenous intralipid emulsion. The fractional disappearance rate was either normal or decreased in diabetes but, when compared at similar basal plasma triglyceride concentration, there was no difference in the elimination of exogenous particulate fat between diabetics and nondiabetics. The different mechanisms of hypertriglyceridemia associated with diabetes are discussed on the basis of the results obtained in this study. In this connection a new concept on the regulation of removal kinetics by plasma triglyceride production rate is suggested.

Plasma triglyceride transport kinetics in diabetes mellitus.

We have previously postulated that resistance to insulin-mediated glucose uptake was the basic metabolic abnormality in patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia. In this situation, glucose tolerance would tend to deteriorate, and could only be maintained by the increased secretion of insulin. Although the ensuing hyperinsulinemia might prevent the development of glucose intolerance, we suggested that it would also lead to increased hepatic very low density (VLDL) triglyceride (TG) synthesis and secretion. In the current study we have quantified these four metabolic variables in 16 nonobese human subjects with plasma TG concentrations insulin response to food VLDL-TG secretion rate plasma TG concentration. These data indicate that nonobese subjects with normal TG levels have the same relationship between degree of insulin sensitivity, insulin response to food, VLDL-TG secretion, and TG concentration previously described in patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia.

Relationship Between Insulin Resistance, Insulin Secretion, Very Low Density Lipoprotein Kinetics, and Plasma Triglyceride Levels in Normotriglyceridemic Man

Studies were performed to evaluate the relative importance of enhanced adipose tissue lipolysis and increased insulin levels in modulating hepatic VLDL production in patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridaemia. Eight control subjects and nine patients with hypertriglyceridaemia were investigated. The latter group comprised four patients with idiopathic hypertriglyceridaemia, three maturity onset diabetics, and two siblings with diabetic lipodystrophy. Each individual's plasma VLDL was selectively labelled with I131 in the apoprotein moiety and then reinjected to assess the turnover of these molecules. This was correlated with the insulin response to an oral glucose load and with the plasma FFA flux measured by a continuous infusion of14C palmitate. In the patients with idiopathic hypertriglyceridaemia and in the adult onset diabetics, plasma VLDL-apoprotein turnover was increased suggesting enhanced hepatic production of these molecules. Although the insulin levels in these patients were higher than normal, no significant correlation was demonstrable between the plasma insulin and the turnover of VLDL-B-apoprotein. Furthermore, in the two patients with lipo-dystrophy the turnover of plasma VLDL was within the normal range, whereas the plasma insulin responses were the highest among all the patients. These results suggest that hyperinsulinaemia alone is not sufficient to account for the increased VLDL production seen in some of our patients. The plasma FFA flux was raised in the patients with idiopathic hypertriglyceridaemia and in the maturity onset diabetics, and was within the normal range in the two patients with lipodystrophy. Indeed, in all the subjects studied a significant correlation was observed between the turnover of plasma VLDL-B-apoprotein and the plasma FFA flux. The results thus indicate that the rate of FFA release to plasma constitutes the predominant factor in determining hepatic output of VLDL and that in the majority of patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridaemia the increased FFA flux resulting from insulin resistance in adipose tissue could effectively increase VLDL production. This process appears to be independent of the prevailing insulin levels, and could occur in the presence of insulin resistance in the liver. The latter, however, could be responsible for the impaired glucose tolerance observed in some patients.

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Role of insulin resistance in adipose tissue and liver in the pathogenesis of endogenous hypertriglyceridaemia in man.

Reduction of serum triglyceride levels by polyunsaturated fat. Studies on the mode of action and on very low density lipoprotein composition.

In a new incubation system, liver slices from rat have been shown to incorporate glucose into lipids, which are released into the incubation medium. This synthesis was stimulated by insulin with a proportionally more marked increase in esterified fatty acids than in free fatty acids.

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Letarte J

Papers

Stimulation by insulin of the incorporation of U14C-glucose into lipids released by the liver