Metabolic response to intravenous infusion of porcine and semi-synthetic human insulin in insulin-dependent diabetic men.

The response of intermediary metabolite concentrations was measured in six insulin-dependent diabetic men during intravenous low-dose incremental insulin infusion. Insulin was infused during consecutive hours at rates of 0.01 u/kg/h, 0.05 u/kg/h and 0.10 u/kg/h. Each patient was studied on two occasions a month apart using either highly purified porcine or semi-synthetic human short-acting insulin. No difference was observed in the changes in blood glucose, lactate, pyruvate, glycerol, alanine, total ketone bodies or plasma non-esterified fatty acids. Thus no difference could be identified in the actions of intravenous porcine and semi-synthetic human insulin on carbohydrate, fat or ketone body metabolism in vivo.