European journal of clinical investigation
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Aug 1997
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialEffects of low-dose L-arginine on insulin-mediated vasodilatation and insulin sensitivity.
The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of a low-dose intravenous supplementation of L-arginine on insulin-mediated vasodilatation and insulin sensitivity. The study was performed in healthy subjects (n = 7) and patients with obesity (n = 9) and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) (n = 9). Insulin-mediated vasodilatation was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography during the insulin suppression test, evaluating insulin sensitivity. ⋯ No effect of L-arginine was observed on insulin, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), free fatty acids (FFAs) or C-peptide levels during the insulin suppression test. Our data indicate that defective insulin-mediated vasodilatation in obesity and NIDDM can be normalized by intravenous L-arginine. Furthermore, L-arginine improves insulin sensitivity in obese patients and NIDDM patients as well as in healthy subjects, indicating a possible mechanism that is different from the restoration of insulin-mediated vasodilatation.