Multiphasic Insulin Response to Arginine 1

Summary

Although arginine is known to release insulin, the mechanism is poorly understood. Recently, it has been suggested that glucose-stimulated insulin release involves multiple mechanisms or pools. To determine if similar mechanisms are involved in arginine-induced insulin release, the immediate and more prolonged effects of arginine infusion were investigated in puppies. With intravenous arginine pulses, plasma immunoreactive insulin (IRI) rose dramatically (693% ± 121 of mean control), returning to base line levels within 30 min. With arginine infusions, an initial transient surge of IRI was again noted, but in contrast to the pulse, levels remained elevated throughout the infusion period. The two phases of insulin release observed during prolonged arginine infusion suggest that arginine, like glucose, stimulates insulin release by more than one mechanism.