Insulin-induced microvascular recruitment in skin and muscle are related and both are associated with whole-body glucose uptake.

Please cite this paper as: Meijer RI, de Boer MP, Groen MR, Eringa EC, Rattigan S, Barrett EJ, Smulders YM, Serne EH. Insulin-induced microvascular recruitment in skin and muscle are related and both are associated with whole-body glucose uptake. Microcirculation similar to 19: 494500, 2012. Abstract Objective: Insulin-induced capillary recruitment is considered a determinant of insulin-mediated glucose uptake. Insulin action on the microvasculature has been assessed in skin; however, there is concern as to whether the vascular responses observed in skin reflect those in the muscle. We hypothesized that insulin-induced capillary recruitment in skin would correlate with microvascular recruitment in muscle in a group of subjects displaying a wide variation in insulin sensitivity. Methods: Capillary recruitment in skin was assessed using capillary videomicroscopy, and skeletal muscle microvascular recruitment (i.e., increase in MBV) was studied using CEU in healthy volunteers (n = 18, mean age: 30.6 +/- 11.1 years). Both microvascular measurements were performed during saline infusion, and during a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. Results: During hyperinsulinemia, capillary recruitment in skin was augmented from 58.1 +/- 18.2% to 81.0 +/- 23.9% (p < 0.0001). Hyperinsulinemia increased MBV in muscle from 7.00 (2.6617.67) to 10.06 (2.7041.81) units (p = 0.003). Insulins vascular effect in skin and muscle was correlated (r = 0.57). Insulins microvascular effects in skin and muscle showed comparable strong correlations with insulin-mediated glucose uptake (r = 0.73 and 0.68, respectively). Conclusions: Insulin-augmented capillary recruitment in skin parallels insulin-mediated microvascular recruitment in muscle and both are related to insulin-mediated glucose uptake.