Skin glucose metabolism and microvascular blood flow during local insulin delivery and after an oral glucose load, Microcirculation, 2016. 23 (7)
Grants:The study has been financially supported by ALF grants, Region Östergötland, by Sinnescentrum, Region Östergötland, and by The Grönberg Foundation.
Keywords:Insulin, Skin, Metabolism, Microcirculation, Microdialysis
AbstractInsulin causes capillary recruitment in muscle and adipose tissue, but the metabolic and microvascular effects of insulin in the skin have not been studied in detail. The aim of this study was to measure glucose metabolism and microvascular blood flow in the skin during local insulin delivery and after an oral glucose load using intracutaneous microdialysis and laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI).Within 15 minutes of local insulin delivery, microvascular blood flow in the skin increased (urea clearance: p=0.047, LSCI: p=0.002) paralleled by increases in pyruvate (p=0.01) and lactate (p=0.04), indicating an increase in glucose uptake. Thus, local delivery of insulin to the skin via microdialysis resulted in rapid vasodilatation, paralleled by an increased glucose uptake. An oral glucose load increased urea clearance from the catheters, indicating an increase in skin perfusion, although no perfusion changes were detected with LSCI. The time course of the effects of insulin on glucose uptake in the skin differed markedly depending on whether insulin is delivered directly to the interstitium via microdialysis, or via a systemic route. These results show that insulin has specific metabolic and vasodilatory effects in the skin both when given locally and after systemic delivery through an oral glucose load.