Whereas development of resistance to the action of insulin on glucose metabolism during gestation has been recognized, it is presently not known whether there is also resistance to the action of insulin on lipid metabolism. We have, therefore, examined the effect of physiological hyperinsulinemia (during euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamping) on free fatty acid (FFA) turnover in seven nondiabetic overweight or obese women during and after pregnancy. Basal rates of FFA release, oxidation, and reesterification and basal plasma FFA concentrations were not significantly different from each other during the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy and postpartum. During euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic (approximately 500 pmol/l) clamping, however, lipolysis was significantly less inhibited during the 3rd trimester (from 7.0 +/- 0.9 to 4.9 +/- 0.9 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1), -30%) than during the 2nd trimester (from 8.4 +/- 0.6 to 4.1 +/- 0.9 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1), -51%) and postpartum (from 8.5 +/- 1.1 to 4.2 +/- 0.6 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1), -51%). Similarly, fat oxidation was not inhibited at all (from 3.5 +/- 0.3 to 3.8 +/- 0.5 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1)) during the 3rd trimester but was suppressed by 51% (from 3.9 +/- 0.2 to 1.9 +/- 0.3 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1)) during the 2nd trimester and by 38% (from 2.6 +/- 0.7 to 1.6 +/- 0.5 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1) postpartum. These data demonstrated that resistance to the action of insulin on lipolysis and on fat oxidation developed during late gestation and disappeared postpartum.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Abstract|
April 01 1999
Effect of insulin on fat metabolism during and after normal pregnancy.
E Sivan;
E Sivan
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA.
Search for other works by this author on:
C J Homko;
C J Homko
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA.
Search for other works by this author on:
X Chen;
X Chen
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA.
Search for other works by this author on:
E A Reece;
E A Reece
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA.
Search for other works by this author on:
G Boden
G Boden
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA.
Search for other works by this author on:
Citation
E Sivan, C J Homko, X Chen, E A Reece, G Boden; Effect of insulin on fat metabolism during and after normal pregnancy.. Diabetes 1 April 1999; 48 (4): 834–838. https://doi.org/10.2337/diabetes.48.4.834
Download citation file: