Estimations of Insulin Sensitivity and Hepatic Glucose Balance in Diabetic Patients

Abstract

A new quantitative method was developed for estimation of the insulin sensitivity and the hepatic glucose balance from intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) in humans. The method was based upon an equivalent circuit model of glucose kinetics, previously developed by our group. This model includes important physiological factors determining the glucose disposal process during IVGTT, such as the peripheral glucose utilization rate represented by electrical current in a time varying resistance represented by a voltage contolled current source. The estimated changes of the sensitivity parameters among four clinical groups were similar to other measured experimental results and these parameters were shown to be useful in distinguishing clinical groups of normal and diabetic subjects.