TRUNCAL VAGOTOMY DOES NOT AFFECT POSTABSORPTIVE GLUCOSE-METABOLISM INHUMANS

To evaluate the effects of hepatic vagal denervation on the adaptation of glucose metabolism to short-term starvation (i.e., <24 h), glucose metabolism was studied after 16 and again after 22 h of fasting in po stsurgical patients with truncal vagotomy (n = 9; radical resection of esophageal carcinoma) and without truncal vagotomy (n = 5; partial re section of the large bowel for carcinoma). Glucose metabolism was stud ied 3-7.5 mo post-operatively by [3-H-3]glucose turnover and by indire ct calorimetry. Basal glucose production, plasma glucose concentration , glucose oxidation, serum free fatty acid concentration, and fat oxid ation were not different between groups; neither were plasma concentra tions of glucoregulatory hormones. The adaptation to prolongation of t he fast by 6 h was not different for any of these parameters between b oth groups. In conclusion, truncal vagotomy does not affect the adapta tion of glucose metabolism to the postabsorptive state (16-22 h of fas ting).