Insulin Reduces Plasma Arginase Activity in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Objective: We sought to determine whether dysregulation of arginine metabolism is related to insulin resistance and underlies impaired nitric oxide generation in type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients. Research Design and Methods: We measured plasma arginase activity, arginine metabolites and skeletal muscle NOS activity in 12 T2DM and 10 age/BMI matched non-diabetic subjects before and following 4 hour euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp with muscle biopsies. Arginine metabolites were determined by tandem mass spectroscopy. Arginase activity was determined by conversion of [C] guanidoinoarginine to [ C] urea. Results: Glucose disposal (Rd) was reduced by 50% in diabetic vs. control subjects. NOS activity was 4 fold reduced in the diabetic group (107 ± 45 vs. 459 ± 100 pmol/min•mg protein, P<0.05) and failed to increase with insulin. Plasma arginase activity was increased by 50% in diabetic vs. control group (0.48 ± 0.11 vs.0.32 ± 0.12 umol/ml•hr, P < 0.05) and markedly declined in diabetic subjects with 4-h insulin infusion (to 0.13 ± 0.04 vs. basal, P <0.05). In both groups collectively, plasma arginase activity correlated positively with fasting plasma glucose (R = 0.46, P < 0.05) and HbA1c levels (R = 0.51, P < 0.02), but not with Rd. Conclusions: Plasma arginase activity is increased in T2DM subjects with impaired NOS activity, correlates with the degree of hyperglycemia, and is reduced by physiologic hyperinsulinemia. Elevated arginase activity may contribute to impaired nitric oxide generation in type 2 diabetes and insulin may ameliorate this defect via reducing arginase activity.