Alterations in liver, muscle, and adipose tissue insulin sensitivity in men with HIV infection and dyslipidemia. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 290: E47 - E53, 2006. First published August 23, 2005; doi: 10.1152/ajpendo. 00236.2005. - Dyslipidemia is common in patients with HIV infection. In this study, a two-stage euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp, with infusion of stable isotopically labeled tracers, was used to evaluate insulin action in skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue in HIV-infected men with dyslipidemia (HIV-DL; plasma triglyceride > 250 mg/dl and HDL 45mg/dl; n = 12), HIV-infected men without dyslipidemia (HIV w/o DL; n = 12), and healthy men (n = 6). Basal rates of glucose production (glucose R-a), glucose disposal (glucose R-d), and lipolysis (palmitate R-a) were similar between groups. The relative suppression of glucose R-a (63 +/- 4, 77 +/- 2, and 78 +/- 3%, P = 0.008) and palmitate R-a (49 +/- 4, 63 +/- 3, and 68 +/- 3%, P = 0.005) during low-dose insulin infusion (plasma insulin similar to 30 mu U/ml), and the relative stimulation of glucose R-d (214 +/- 21, 390 +/- 25, and 393 +/- 46%, P = 0.001) during high-dose insulin infusion (plasma insulin similar to 75 mu U/ml) were lower in HIV-DL than in HIV w/o DL and healthy volunteers, respectively. Suppression of basal glucose Ra correlated with plasma adiponectin (r = 0.44, P = 0.02) and inversely with plasma IL-6 (r = -0.49, P < 0.001). Stimulation of glucose Rd correlated directly with adiponectin (r = 0.48, P < 0.01) and inversely with IL-6 (r = -0.49, P = 0.02). We conclude that dyslipidemia in HIV-infected men is indicative of multiorgan insulin resistance, and circulating adipokines may be important in the pathogenesis of impaired insulin action.