Adaptive reciprocity of lipid and glucose metabolism in human short-term starvation.
The human organism has tools to cope with metabolic challenges like starvation that are crucial for survival. Lipolysis, lipid oxidation, ketone body synthesis, tailored endogenous glucose production and uptake, and decreased glucose oxidation serve to protect against excessive erosion of protein mass, which is the predominant supplier of carbon chains for synthesis of newly formed glucose. The starvation response shows that the adaptation to energy deficit is very effective and coordinated with different adaptations in different organs. From an evolutionary perspective, this lipid-induced effect on glucose oxidation and uptake is very strong and may therefore help to understand why insulin resistance in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus is difficult to treat. The importance of reciprocity in lipid and glucose metabolism during human starvation should be taken into account when studying lipid and glucose metabolism in general and in pathophysiological conditions in particular.
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.r.soeters@amc.uva.nl
Maarten R
MR
Soeters
Peter B
PB
Soeters
Marieke G
MG
Schooneman
Sander M
SM
Houten
Johannes A
JA
Romijn
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000378:metabolism*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008066:Lipolysis; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013217:Starvation / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
D005947:Glucose