To determine the in vivo effect of amino acids (AAs) alone or in combination with insulin on splanchnic and muscle protein dynamics, we infused stable isotope tracers of AAs in 36 healthy subjects and sampled from femoral artery and vein and hepatic vein. The subjects were randomized into six groups and were studied at baseline and during infusions of saline (group 1), insulin (0.5 mU ⅐ kg ؊1 ⅐ min ؊1 ) (group 2), insulin plus replacement of AAs (group 3) insulin plus high-dose AAs (group 4), or somatostatin and baseline replacement doses of insulin, glucagon and GH plus high dose of AAs (group 5) or saline (group 6). Insulin reduced muscle release of AAs mainly by inhibition of protein breakdown. Insulin also enhanced AA-induced muscle protein synthesis (PS) and reduced leucine transamination. The main effect of AAs on muscle was the enhancement of PS. Insulin had no effect on protein dynamics or leucine transamination in splanchnic bed. However, AAs reduced protein breakdown and increased synthesis in splanchnic bed in a dose-dependent manner. AAs also enhanced leucine transamination in both splanchnic and muscle beds. Thus insulin's anabolic effect was mostly on muscle, whereas AAs acted on muscle as well as on splanchnic bed. Insulin achieved anabolic effect in muscle by inhibition of protein breakdown, enhancing AAinduced PS, and reducing leucine transamination. AAs largely determined protein anabolism in splanchnic bed by stimulating PS and decreasing protein breakdown. Diabetes 52:1377-1385, 2003 I nsulin exerts its anticatabolic effect on protein metabolism by its differential effects on protein synthesis (PS) and breakdown (PB) in many tissue beds (1-4). Human studies have demonstrated that muscle is in a catabolic state after an overnight fast and that it provides amino acids (AAs) to the systemic circulation (2). This AA supply is thought to be crucial for the synthesis of essential proteins, especially in liver (1). Insulin decreases the net efflux of AAs from the muscle bed mainly by inhibiting muscle PB (2). However, insulin has no effect on splanchnic PB and also decreases PS (2). It is unclear whether lack of any stimulatory effect on muscle and splanchnic PS is secondary to reduced intracellular AA concentrations. Our studies, and those of others, suggested that a reduction in circulating AAs (hypoaminoacidemia) or related changes in intracellular AA levels when insulin alone is infused may be the reason why insulin failed to stimulate muscle PS in skeletal muscle (5-8). Animal studies have reported that AAs, especially branched chain AAs, increased the sensitivity of muscle PS to insulin (9). In vitro experiments using large increases in insulin and AA concentrations have also stimulated muscle PS (10,11). Both insulin and AAs have been shown to have independent effects at the translational level of PS (12-15). AAs, especially branched chain AAs, have also been shown to have inhibitory effects on liver PB based on liver perfusion studies (16) and in vivo studies in rodents (12). The independent...