Basal and postprotein insulin and glucagon levels during a high and low carbohydrate intake and their relationships to plasma triglycerides.
The effects of acute and chronic differences in the carbohydrate content of the diet on plasma insulin, glucagon, insulin-glucagon molar ratio (I/G), and triglycerides were studied. Acute effects were studied by varying the carbohydrate content of a single test meal, while chronic effects were determined by varying the carbohydrate content of the diet for a week. A test meal containing 0.6 gm of gelatin per kilogram plus 0.6 gm. per kilogram of glucose resulted in much higher levels of insulin and I/G (p smaller than 0.005), lower glucagon levels (p smaller than 0.05), and slightly higher triglycerides (N.S.) than did a meal of 1.2 gm, per kilogram of gelatin alone. One week of a 12 gm. carbohydrate, 2870-calorie diet lowered insulin (p smaller than 0.001), I/G (p smaller than 0.05), and triglycerides (p smaller than 0.001) and increased glucagon (N.S.), whereas a 390-gm. carbohydrate, 2784-calorie intake significantly increased insulin, I/G, and triglycerides (p smaller than 0.005) and lowered glucagon (p smaller than 0.02) within two days; even greater changes in hormones were observed on a 510-gm. carbohydrate intake. Of those patients in whom a high carbohydrate intake induced a triglyceride rise of at least 40 mg. per deciliter, a significant correlation between the change in I/G and the change in triglycerides was noted (r equals 0.85; p smaller than 0.01). The results are compatible with but do not prove the proposal that pancreatic alpha and beta cells play a mediating role in carbohydrate induction of hyperlipidemia.
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005780:Gelatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005934:Glucagon / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000209:etiology; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D005780:Gelatin; D005934:Glucagon