Contribution of net hepatic glycogen synthesis to disposal of an oral glucose load in humans.

The contribution of hepatic glycogen synthesis to whole body glucose disposal after an oral glucose load was examined using (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to measure liver glycogen content in healthy, volunteers after an overnight fast. In group 1 (n = 14), hepatic glycogen synthesis was measured using (13)C-NMR spectroscopy for 240 minutes after ingestion of 98 +/- 1 g glucose. Liver volumes were measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To assess the direct (glucose --> glucose-6-P --> glucose-1-P --> uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucose --> glycogen) and indirect (3-carbon units --> --> glycogen) pathways of liver glycogen synthesis, group 2 (n = 6) was studied with an identical glucose load enriched with [1-(13)C]glucose along with acetaminophen to noninvasively assess the (13)C enrichment in hepatic UDP-glucose. The fasting hepatic glycogen content was 305 +/- 17 mmol/L liver, and the liver volume was 1.46 +/- 0.07 L. For the initial 180 minutes after ingestion of glucose, hepatic glycogen concentrations increased linearly (r =.94, P =.0006) achieving a maximum concentration of 390 +/- 7 mmol/L liver and then remained constant until the end of the study. The mean maximum rate of net hepatic glycogen synthesis was 0.48 +/- 0.07 mmol/L liver-minute. Total liver glycogen synthesis could account for 16.7 +/- 3.8 g (17% +/- 4%) of the glucose ingested, and of this, 10.5 +/- 2.4 g (63% +/- 7%) was synthesized by the direct pathway. In conclusion, after ingestion of 98 g of glucose: (1) 16.7 +/- 3.8 g (17% +/- 4%) glucose was stored in the liver as glycogen, and (2) 63% +/- 7% (10.5 +/- 2.4 g) of this glycogen was formed via the direct pathway.

Contribution of hepatic glycogenolysis to glucose production in humans in response to a physiological increase in plasma glucagon concentration.

The contribution of net hepatic glycogenolysis to overall glucose production during a physiological increment in the plasma glucagon concentration was measured in six healthy subjects (18-24 years, 68-105 kg) after an overnight fast. Glucagon (approximately 3 ng.kg-1.min-1), somatostatin (0.1 microgram.kg-1.min-1), and insulin (0.9 pmol.kg-1.min-1) were infused for 3 h. Liver glycogen concentration was measured at 15-min intervals during this period using 13C-labeled nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and liver volume was assessed from magnetic resonance images. The rate of net hepatic glycogenolysis was calculated from the decrease in liver glycogen concentration over time, multiplied by the liver volume. The rate of glucose appearance (Ra) was calculated from [3-3H]glucose turnover data using a two-compartment model of glucose kinetics. Plasma glucagon concentration rose from 136 +/- 18 to 304 +/- 57 ng/l and plasma glucose concentration rose from 5.6 +/- 0.1 to 10.4 +/- 0.9 mmol/l on initiation of the infusions. Mean baseline Ra was 11.8 +/- 0.4 mumol.kg-1.min-1, increased rapidly after the beginning of the infusions, reaching its highest value after 20-40 min, and returned to baseline by 140 min. Liver glycogen concentration decreased almost linearly (from 300 +/- 19 mmol/l liver at baseline to 192 +/- 20 mmol/l liver at t = 124 min) during 2 h after the beginning of the infusions, and the calculated mean rate of net hepatic glycogenolysis was 21.7 +/- 3.6 mumol.kg-1.min-1. Mean Ra during the same time period was 22.8 +/- 2.3 mumol.kg-1.min-1. Thus, net hepatic glycogenolysis accounted for 93 +/- 9% of Ra.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)