Level of Plasma Amino Acids in Eviscerate Rats Given Glucose and Fructose with and without Insulin

This is one of a series of studies on the effect of hormones upon protein metabolism in the eviscerate rat. Insulin causes a temporary decrease in the level of plasma amino acids (PAA) in the eviscerate rat and suppresses the rate of increase in PAA. HOW do this and other effects of insulin upon protein metabolism relate to the action of insulin upon carbohydrate utilization? If the changes in protein metabolism are secondary to a primary action of insulin upon the utilization of carbohydrate it should be possible to suppress the rise in PAA in the eviscerate rat by enhancing the utilization of carbohydrate by other means. There is some evidence that fructose is well utilized in the absence of insulin, and it is commonly believed that insulin does not affect the utilization of fructose. In the present experiments we have tested the hypothesis that fructose might suppress the rise in PAA following evisceration. The results are negative.