A comparison of the biological actions and pharmacokinetics of intravenously infused highly purified beef and biosynthetic human insulins in normal man.

By means of the euglycaemic insulin clamp technique the rate of insulin-mediated peripheral glucose disposal (GDR) was compared in response to intravenous infusions of highly purified beef insulin (BI) and biosynthetic human insulin (BHI), infused at 1 and 6 mU/kg/min, in healthy volunteers. The metabolic clearance rates of BI and BHI were similar at the lower insulin infusion rate and were both greater than those observed at the higher insulin infusion rate, which were also similar, implying the process of insulin clearance to be saturable. The GDRs were similar in response to infusions of BI and BHI at each insulin infusion rate. The rates of insulin deactivation were similar, having discontinued BI and BHI infusions at 1 mU/kg/min.