Effects of long-term fasting on insulin responses to fatty acids in man

Objective: To investigate whether the prolonged physiological elevation of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) seen in man during fasting associates with an altered acute insulin response to NEFA. Subjects and methods: Fourteen non-diabetic subjects, age18-25 years, BMI 23,2 ± 0,8 kg/m2 underwent hyperglycemic clamps (blood glucose 11 mM) for 120 min. during which either saline or Intralipid was administered during the last 60 min. Subjects were tested after an overnight as well as after a 58h fast. Results: After the overnight fast insulin levels increased during Intralipid infusion, reaching at min 120 an increment of 33,0 ± 8,5 mU/ml vs. 9,5 ± 4,4 mU/ml during saline, p