INSULIN-SECRETION IN PATIENTS DEFICIENT IN GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATE-DEHYDROGENASE

Intravenous (IVGTT) and oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) were carried out in 12 men with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency and in 11 normal men. The race, the mean age and body mass index were similar in the G-6-PD deficient and in the normal men. No significant differences were demonstrated between mean plasma glucose levels in the G-6-PD deficient subjects and those in the normal men during IVGTT and OGTT. In contrast the insulin levels were significantly lower for the G-6-PD deficient subjects as compared to the controls at 30 minutes (P < 0.04) in the OGTT and at 1 min (P < 0.001), 3 min (P < 0.001), 5 min (P < 0.001) and 10 minutes (P < 0.002) in the IVGTT. All indexes of first phase insulin release were also significantly (P < 0.001) lower in G-6-PD deficient men. These results emphasize the metabolic importance of G-6-PD in the process of glucose induced insulin release.