title: Acute interleukin-6 administration does not impair muscle glucose uptake or whole-body glucose disposal in healthy humans.
abstract: The cytokine interleukin (IL)-6 has recently been linked with type 2 diabetes mellitus and has been suggested to affect glucose metabolism. To determine whether acute IL-6 administration affects whole-body glucose kinetics or muscle glucose uptake, 18 healthy young men were assigned to one of three groups receiving a high dose of recombinant human IL-6 (HiIL-6; n = 6), a low dose of IL-6 (LoIL-6; n = 6) or saline (Con; n = 6) infused into one femoral artery for 3 h. The stable isotope [6,6-2H2] glucose was infused into a forearm vein throughout the 3 h infusion period and for a further 3 h after the cessation of infusion (recovery) to determine endogenous glucose production and whole-body glucose disposal. Infusion with HiIL-6 and LoIL-6 resulted in a marked (P < 0.05) increase in systemic IL-6 concentration throughout the 3 h of infusion (mean arterial plasma [IL-6]s of 319 and 143 pg ml-1 for HiIL-6 and LoIL-6, respectively), followed by a rapid decline (P < 0.05) during the recovery period. Subjects experienced clinical symptoms such as shivering and discomfort during HiIL-6 administration, but were asymptomatic during LoIL-6 administration. In addition, only HiIL-6 elevated (P < 0.05) plasma adrenaline (epinephrine). IL-6 infusion, irrespective of dose, did not result in any changes to endogenous glucose production, whole-body glucose disposal or leg- glucose uptake. These data demonstrate that acute IL-6 administration does not impair whole-body glucose disposal, net leg-glucose uptake, or increase endogenous glucose production at rest in healthy young humans.
authors.affiliation: The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Denmark. sberg@rh.dk
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steensberg
authors.forename: Christian P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sacchetti
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Osada
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schjerling
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Hall
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Febbraio
authors.forename: Bente Klarlund
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Pedersen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; D015850:Interleukin-6; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C495692:SLC2A4 protein, human; D006003:Glycogen; D005947:Glucose; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine