Insulin Tolerance Test under Anaesthesia to Measure Tissue-specific Insulin-stimulated Glucose Disposal

Daniel J Fazakerley; Andreas M Fritzen; Marin E Nelson; Ida H Thorius; Kristen C Cooke; Sean J Humphrey; Gregory J Cooney; David E James

doi:10.21769/BioProtoc.3146

Insulin Tolerance Test under Anaesthesia to Measure Tissue-specific Insulin-stimulated Glucose Disposal

Bio Protoc. 2019 Jan 20;9(2):e3146. doi: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3146.

Authors

Daniel J Fazakerley¹, Andreas M Fritzen^{1

2}, Marin E Nelson¹, Ida H Thorius^{1

2}, Kristen C Cooke¹, Sean J Humphrey¹, Gregory J Cooney³, David E James^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
² Section of Molecular Physiology, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark.
³ Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia.

Abstract

Insulin resistance is a pathophysiological state defined by impaired responses to insulin and is a risk factor for several metabolic diseases, most notably type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance occurs in insulin target tissues including liver, adipose and skeletal muscle. Methods such as insulin tolerance tests and hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamps permit assessment of insulin responses in specific tissues and allow the study of the progression and causes of insulin resistance. Here we detail a protocol for assessing insulin action in adipose and muscle tissues in anesthetized mice administered with insulin intravenously.

Keywords: Adipose tissue; Glucose transport; Glucose uptake; Insulin; Insulin tolerance test; Muscle.