Urea, Glucose and Alanine Kinetics in Man: Effects of Glucose Infusion

Abstract

The simultaneous effects of an i.v. glucose infusion on plasma urea, glucose and ala kinetics were investigated in normal post-absorptive man. The primed constant i.v. infusion of compounds labeled with stable isotopes, [15N2]urea, [6-2H]glucose and [3-13C]ala, was used. The rate of appearance of glucose and urea in the plasma was rapidly reduced by the 17.7 .mu.mol/min per kg glucose infusion. During the glucose infusion there was an increased rate of appearance of ala in the plasma and an increased percentage of glucose C atoms derived from ala. Reduced production of glucose and urea during the glucose infusion was evidently not due to decreased gluconeogenesis from ala.