The hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp test is considered to be a gold standard for the evaluation of
insulin sensitivity. Here, a new version of the clamp test that used the fluorescence tracer
2-NBDG was tested. C57BL/6J mice were induced
insulin resistant (IR) with a high-calorie diet.
Rosiglitazone was administrated to IR mice and diabetic db/db mice.
Insulin resistance was estimated with the oral
glucose tolerance test (OGTT), the
insulin tolerance test (ITT), the serum
insulin level and the homeostasis model assessment of
insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and then confirmed by the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp test with
2-NBDG. The
2-NBDG content was measured by the fluorescence intensity. The characteristics of
insulin resistance were shown remarkably with the increased values of serum
insulin and HOMA-IR in IR mice, and with the results from OGTT and ITT in both IR and db/db mice. In the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp test, the
glucose infusion rate and amount of
2-NBDG taken up into the liver, adipose, and skeletal muscle were decreased significantly in IR mice and db/db mice, respectively. The clearing rates of
2-NBDG from the circulation were much slower in both mouse models. All markers were reversed significantly by
rosiglitazone treatment. The results indicate that with the fluorescence tracer
2-NBDG, the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp test can be used to estimate
insulin sensitivity in vivo.