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Xylitol: Stimulation of Insulin and Inhibition of Glucagon Responses to Arginine in Man

Third Division, Department of Medicine, Kobe University School of Medicine Kobe, Japan

The effect of intravenous xylitol infusions on plasma glucagon and insulin responses to intravenous arginine infusions (30 g for 45 min) or arginine "pulses" (4 g for 2 min) was studied in normal subjects. Intravenous infusion of arginine caused biphasic increases in plasma glucagon and insulin in all subjects studied. The increase in plasma glucagon induced by arginine infusion was significantly reduced by xylitol infusions started at 45 min before arginine infusion, irrespective of virtually unchanged blood glucose levels. Plasma insulin response to arginine was exaggerated by xylitol infusion. Repeated arginine pulses given at 30 min intervals evoked uniphasic and almost identical rises of plasma insulin and glucagon with each pulse. Intravenous xylitol infusions significantly blunted plasma glucagon responses and augumented the plasma insulin response to arginine pulses, despite only slight elevations of plasma glucose. These results suggest that xylitol has an inhibitory effect on both basal and arginine-stimulated glucagon secretion, while it enhances insulin secretion.

Received July 9, 1975.