Important role of the hepatic vagus nerve in glucose uptake and production by the liver

We examined the role of the hepatic vagus nerve in hepatic and peripheral glucose metabolism. To assess endogenous glucose production (EGP), hepatic uptake of first-pass glucose infused intraportally (HGU), and the metabolic clearance rate of glucose (MCR), rats were subjected to hepatic vagotomy (HV, n = 7) or sham operation (SH, n = 8), after 10 days, they were then subjected to a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp together with a portal glucose load in the 24-hour fasting state. Metabolic parameters were determined by the dual-tracer method using stable isotopes. During the experiment, [6,6-H-2(2)]glucose was continuously infused into the peripheral vein. To maintain euglycemia (4.5 mmol/L), insulin (54 pmol.kg(-1).min(-1)) and glucose were infused peripherally after the 90-minute tracer equilibration and 30-minute basal periods, and glucose containing 5% enriched [U-C-13]glucose was infused intraportally (50 mu mol.kg(-1).min(-1)) for 120 minutes (clamp period). EGP was significantly higher in HV rats versus SH rats during the basal period (64.3 +/- 7.6 v 43.6 +/- 5.3 mu mol.kg(-1).min(-1), P < .005) and was comparable to EGP in SH rats during the clamp period (9.3 +/- 21.5 v 1.1 +/- 11.7 mu mol.kg(-1.)min(-1)). HGU was reduced in HV rats compared with SH rats during portal glucose infusion (5.9 +/- 2.4 v 10.1 +/- 3.2 mu mol.kg(-1).min(-1)). The MCR in HV rats was significantly higher than in SH rats in the basal period (11.0 +/- 2.0 v 7.9 +/- 0.8 mL.kg(-1).min(-1), P < .01) and was comparable to the MCR in SH rats during the clamp period (41.9 +/- 10.0 and 36.6 +/- 5.7 mL.kg(-1).min(-1)). We conclude that innervation of the hepatic vagus nerve is important for the regulation of hepatic glucose production in the postabsorptive state and HGU in the postprandial state. Copyright (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.