Free fatty acids and insulin secretion in humans.
Acute increases in plasma levels of long-chain fatty acids raise plasma insulin levels by stimulating insulin secretion or by decreasing insulin clearance. In normal subjects, long-term elevations of fatty acids also stimulate insulin secretion. In fact, they increase insulin precisely to the degree needed to compensate for the fatty acid-induced insulin resistance. In contrast, in individuals who are genetically predisposed to develop type 2 diabetes (prediabetic subjects), the free fatty acid (FFA) stimulation of insulin secretion is not sufficient to fully compensate for the FFA-induced insulin resistance. Therefore, obesity, if associated with elevated fatty acid levels, may lead to hyperglycemia in prediabetic but not in normal individuals.
Boden
Guenther
G
Division of Endocrinology/Diabetes/Metabolism, Temple University School of Medicine, Temple University Hospital, 3401 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA. bodengh@tuhs.temple.edu
D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000097:blood
D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D007328:Insulin