The effect of ornithine-alpha-ketoglutarate on insulin and glucagon secretion in normal subjects.

Ornithine-alpha-ketoglutarate (OAK), a drug commonly used in various catabolic states, was studied for its acute effects on endocrine pancreas. A 30-min infusion of OAK (20 g/m2) induced significant increases in insulin levels (from 15 through 60 min) and in glucagon levels (from 15 through 90 min). However, OAK-induced insulin and glucagon responses were lower than after a 0.5 g/kg arginine infusion. The fluctuations of blood glucose levels were much less marked during OAK infusion than during arginine and especially the late fall was less evident.