Increasing early insulin secretion compensate adequately for hepatic insulin resistance in CCl4-induced cirrhosis rats

A number of recent publications have reported an increased frequency prevalence of glucose intolerance with hyperinsulinemia in liver cirrhosis. The aim of this work was to detect, in CCl4-induced liver cirrhosis rat, the presence and starting point of muscle and liver insulin resistance. Eighteen rats received intraperitoneal injection of 2 ml of soybean oil containing of CCl4 twice a week for 20 weeks. We executed standard oral glucose tolerance and clamp study to evaluate systemic insulin resistance. Hepatic glucose uptake was much lower in CCl4 group than that in control group, but peripheral glucose uptake was not decreased in this study. In contrast, early-phase insulin secretion was enhanced in CCl4 rat using oral glucose load during clamp methods. These data suggested that increased early insulin secretion compensate adequately for hepatic insulin resistance in rats. However there was a report that peripheral glucose uptake was decreased in the case of human liver cirrhosis, which was formed in the course of time. In a chronic condition, this may be associated with reduced insulin content and developed systemic insulin resistance in liver cirrhosis. Then a long term observation study will be required to examine the presence of muscle insulin resistance in liver cirrhosis.