[Evaluation of hepatic gluconeogenesis by intravenous L-alanine tolerance test after major hepatectomy].

The response of glucose, insulin and glucagon to L-alanine tolerance test (0.5 g/kg, intravenously, A.T.T.) was examined in dogs following hepatectomy. Before A.T.T., dogs were starved for 24 hours after antecedent carbohydrate-free diets. Under this condition, hepatic glycogen and blood glucose were 0.5 +/- 0.2 mg/g liver and 85 +/- 11.9 mg/dl, respectively. The marked response of blood glucose to alanine tolerance test was observed and the maximal increment above the basal level was 47 +/- 5.2 mg/dl at 30 minutes after A.T.T. One week after 44% and 70% hepatectomy, the increments of glucose at 30 minutes after A.T.T. were 58% and 24% respectively, as compared with those before hepatectomy. These results suggest that the glucose response to alanine tolerance is useful for an index of functional reserve of glucose production in the remnant liver after hepatectomy. The increments of blood glucose at 30 minutes after A.T.T. 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after 70% hepatectomy were 24.0, 21.8, 52.7 and 80% of that before hepatectomy respectively. The insulin response to alanine tolerance gave two peaks at 2.5 min and 30 min and the latter peak was dependent on the blood glucose response before and after hepatectomy. One or two weeks after 70% hepatectomy, the exaggerated glucagon response to alanine tolerance was observed. These results suggest that A.T.T. is not only an excellent index of functional reserve of hepatic gluconeogenesis, but also is an appropriate method for investigation of the relation between endogenous glucose production and endocrine pancreas.