Influence of metabolic control on splanchnic glucose uptake, insulin sensitivity, and the time required for glucose absorption in patients with type 1 diabetes

OBJECTIVE - The relationship between splanchnic glucose uptake (SGU) after oral glucose administration and metabolic control in type 1 diabetic patients is controversial. We estimated SGU as well as peripheral glucose uptake and the time required for glucose absorption by a validated method, the oral glucose (OG) clamp, in type I diabetic patients with different levels of long-term glycemic control. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - An OG clamp (which combines a hypeinsulinemic clamp [120 mU . m(-2) . min(-1)] with an OR load [75 g] during steady-state glucose uptake) was performed in eight type 1 diabetic patients with good metabolic control (DG) 2 (HbA(1c) 6.1 +/- 0.2%, BMI 23.1 +/- 0.7 kg/m(2)), eight type 1 diabetic patients with poor metabolic control (DP) (HbA(1c) 8.5 +/- 0.3%, BMI 25.4 +/- 1.4 kg/m(2)), and eight healthy matched control subjects (C) (HbA(1c) 5.1 +/- 0.1%, BMI 25 +/- 1.3 kg/m(2)) to determine SGU, glucose uptake, and glucose absorption. RESULTS - Glucose uptake calculated from 120 to 180 min during the clamp was 9.13 +/- 0.55 mg . kg(-1) . min(-1) m C, 8.18 +/- 0.71 mg . kg(-1) . min(-1) in DG, and 7.42 +/- 0.96 mg . kg(-1) . min(-1) in DP (NS). Glucose absorption was 140 +/- 6 min in C, 156 +/- 4 min in DG and 143 +/- 7 min in DP (NS). The respective calculated SGU was 14.5 +/- 5.6% in C, 17.8 +/- 3.1% in DG, and 18.8 +/- 4.2% in DP (NS) and did not correlate with HbA(1c) values. CONCLUSIONS - Peripheral glucose uptake, SGU after oral glucose administration, and the glucose absorption time were not different in type 1 diabetic patients independent of glycemic control when compared with healthy subjects.