Secretin-induced insulin response. I. Cubital insulin concentration in normal, obese and pancreatectomized patients, including portal insulin concentration in normals after secretin.

Intravenous injection of the gastro-intestinal hormone secretin elicits an increase in the insulin concentration in the cubital vein. In 10 normal weight non-diabetics and 10 obese non-diabetics the latter group gave a hypernormal insulin response. By the simultaneous determination of the insulin concentration in the cubital and portal veins and also by an investigation of 2 pancreatectomized patients, it was demonstrated that an increase in the cubital insulin concentration following intravenous injection of secretin was due to an altered secretion from the pancreas and not to an altered elimination of insulin.