A comparison of the activity and disposal of semi-synthetic human insulin and porcine insulin in normal man by the glucose clamp technique

Abstract

The activity of semi-synthetic human insulin has been compared with porcine insulin in normal man using an euglycaemic glucose clamp at two different insulin infusion rates. In a two hour infusion insulin levels plateaued for both types of insulin at 44–48 mU/l (infusion rate 0.05 U kg body weight^-1 h^-1) and 22–24 mU/l (0.02 U kg^-1 h^-1), giving identical metabolic clearance rates. The glucose delivery required to maintain euglycaemia in the second hour of insulin infusion was 13.9±2.1 g (mean±SEM) and 14.7±1.5 g (NS) at the lower dose for porcine and human insulins respectively, and 27.1±2.5 and 28.0±2.9 g (NS) at the higher dose. The potency ratio for human, compared with porcine, insulin was 1.06 ±0.12. No differences were seen in the time of onset of action of the insulins, serum half-life or distribution space. The responses of blood lactate, pyruvate, alanine, glycerol and 3-hydroxybutyrate were identical. No untoward reactions occurred. The activity and disposal of this semi-synthetic human insulin are indistinguishable from porcine insulin in normal euglycaemic man.