The Acute Effects of Low-dose TNF-α on Glucose Metabolism and β-cell Function in Humans

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by increased insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. In addition, type 2 diabetes is associated with low grade inflammation indicated by increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α. TNF-α has previously been shown to impair peripheral insulin signaling in vitro and in vivo. However, it is unclear whether TNF-α may also affect endogenous glucose production (EGP) during fasting and glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in vivo.

We hypothesized that low dose TNF-α would increase EGP and attenuate GSIS. Recombinant human TNF-α or placebo was infused in healthy, non-obese and non-diabetic young men (n=10) during a 4-hour basal period followed by an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT).