Splanchnic and peripheral disposal of oral glucose in man

Oral glucose (92 g) was administered to 22 healthy, young volunteers undergoing hepatic vein catheterization, and net splanchnic glucose output (SGO) was measured during the basal period and for 4 h after glucose ingestion. In the basal state , SGO averaged 1.90 ± 0.11 mg/min.kg. After glucose, SGO rose to a peak value of 6.65 ± 0.83 mg/min.kg at 39 min and returned to baseline by 3 h. Total SGO over 4 h was 69 ± 4 g; assuming complete absorption of the load, this amount represented 75% of the oral glucose. In a subgroup of six subjects, leg glucose uptake was simultaneously quantitated by femoral vein catheterization and leg blood flow measurement. In the post-absorptive stage, glucose uptake by one leg was 24 ± 8 mg/min and increased to a mean value of 76 ± 7 mg/min during the 4 h after glucose ingestion. Overall, 18 ± 2 g/4 h of glucose were taken up by one leg, which extrapolates to a total body muscle uptake of 65 ± 4 g over 4 h. We conclude that in normal man, well over 2/3 of an oral glucose load escapes splanchnic removal, and that the peripheral tissues quantitatively play the dominant role in glucose disposal.