INSULIN RESISTANCE IN PERIPHERAL-TISSUES AFTER A BURN INJURY

Abstract

The glucose uptake of a perfused, skin-covered preparation of muscle taken from the rat was altered by prior burn injury to the animal. Animals receiving an 8% deep burn to the back 24 h prior to testing had a glucose uptake (5.9 .+-. 0.85 .mu.M/100 g per min) which was depressed compared to control nonburned preparations (8.4 .+-. 0.34 .mu.M/100 g per min) (P < 0.025) at low insulin concentration (35 .mu.U[microunit]/ml). Higher insulin concentrations (160 .mu.U/ml and 16 mU/ml) produced significant increases in the glucose uptake of the burned and control animals. At the highest insulin level (16 mU/ml), there was no significant difference between burned and control animals. Preparations from animals burned 5 days prior to study showed a glucose uptake which was not decreased as compared with control animals at the low level of insulin (35 .mu.U/ml) (7.4 .+-. 0.63 .mu.M/100 g per min), but higher levels of insulin (160 .mu.U/ml and 16 mU/ml) failed to produce a significant increase in glucose uptake (8.4 .+-. 0.64 .mu.M/100 g per min and 8.6 .+-. 0.92 .mu.M/100 g per min, respectively). The values differed significantly (P < 0.05) from control preparation (11.5 .+-. 0.54 .mu.M/100 g per min) at the insulin level of 16 mU/ml. Two different patterns of altered sensitivity to increased insulin concentrations were noted, depending on the stage of injury. The altered metabolic status of peripheral tissues does contribute to the insulin resistance phenomenon observed after a burn injury.