Hepatic insulin extraction in human pregnancy.
The hepatic degradation of insulin in late pregnancy has been estimated by determination of the molar C-peptide: Insulin (C/l) ratio under fasting conditions in 20 normal women in late pregnancy and again 4--8 weeks post-partum. Fasting plasma C-peptide and insulin concentrations were both significantly enhanced in pregnancy. However, since the relative gestational increments in plasma C-peptide and insulin concentrations were of almost the same magnitude, the C/l ratio remained unaffected by pregnancy (7.3 +/- 0.07 (mean +/- S.E.M) (pregnancy) vs. 7.4 +/- 0.8 (post-partum), N.S.). The results suggest that, in pregnancy, peripheral hyperinsulinaemia is due, in general, to pancreatic hypersecretion rather than to diminished hepatic extraction of insulin.
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood*; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D007328:Insulin; D010455:Peptides