Relationship between subcutaneous blood flow and absorption of lente type insulin.

To study the relationship between the absorption of intermediate acting insulin and the local subcutaneous blood flow (SBF) 8 diabetic patients were given subcutaneous injections of 125I labeled human lente type insulin and 133Xenon in the abdominal wall. External measurements of the tracer disappearance were performed and the insulin absorption rate and SBF were calculated. A curvilinear relationship between the insulin absorption rate and SBF was demonstrated with an initial almost linear relation but with decreasing impact of SBF when this was in the higher physiological range.