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Urinary C-Peptide: A Simple Measure of Integrated Insulin Production with Emphasis on the Effects of Body Size, Diet, and Corticosteroids^*

Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455

C-Peptide is secreted from the β-cell in equimolar quantities with insulin. Since a fraction of C-peptide is excreted in the urine, measurement of C-peptide in timed urine collections is a simple indirect measure of integrated insulin production. Normal subjects were studied to determine the effects of diet and oral prednisone on urinary C-peptide excretion. In subjects on a defined diet, there is a positive correlation of urinary Cpeptide with body weight. When insulin production is increased after oral prednisone, there is also a positive correlation with body mass index and percent ideal body weight. Prednisone increases plasma glucose, immunoreactive insulin, and serum and urinary C-peptide levels beginning 8–12 h after oral administration. This effect of prednisone is most marked in the postprandial state. Diets high in carbohydrate and protein result in significantly more insulin production, as measured by urinary Cpeptide, than isocaloric diets with low protein or carbohydrate composition.

^* This work was supported by NIH Grant NIAMDD-NRSA FM5F23-AM-0588602, a grant from the General Clinical Research Centers Program of the Division of Research Resources (no. RR400), and the American Diabetes Association, Minnesota Affiliate (Grant 77–63). Part of this work was presented at the 63rd Annual Meeting of The Endocrine Society, Cincinnati, OH, June 17-19,1981.

Received December 21, 1981.

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