Effect of Pulsatile Hormone Administration on Insulin Action

In humans, insulin is secreted in pulses from the pancreatic beta-cells, and these oscillations help to maintain fasting plasma glucose levels within a narrow normal range. Given the fluctuations in insulin concentrations, oscillations enhance precision of control. The hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp test (clamp) involves a continuous infusion of insulin and is the gold standard for measuring insulin sensitivity. In this study, insulin sensitivity measured using the standard clamp will be compared with a clamp in which the same total amount of insulin as the standard clamp is infused every five minutes instead of continuously.