Antecubital Vein Cannula Position Impacts Assessment of Forearm Glucose Uptake During an Oral Glucose Challenge in Healthy Volunteers

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Skeletal muscle is a major site for whole-body glucose disposal, and determination of skeletal muscle glucose uptake is an important metabolic measurement, particularly in research focussed on interventions that impact muscle insulin sensitivity. Calculating arterial-venous difference in blood glucose can be used as an indirect measure for assessing glucose uptake. However, the possibility of multiple tissues contributing to the composition of venous blood, and the differential in glucose uptake kinetics between tissue types, suggests that sampling from different vein sites could influence the estimation of glucose uptake. This study aimed to determine the impact of venous cannula position on calculated forearm glucose uptake following an oral glucose challenge in resting and post-exercise states. Materials and Methods In 9 young, lean, males, the impact of sampling blood from two antecubital vein positions; the perforating vein (‘perforating’ visit) and, at the bifurcation of superficial and perforating veins (‘bifurcation’ visit), was assessed. Brachial artery blood flow and arterialised-venous and venous blood glucose concentrations were measured in 3 physiological states; resting-fasted, resting-fed, and fed following intermittent forearm muscle contraction (fed-exercise). Results Following glucose ingestion, forearm glucose uptake area under the curve was greater for the ‘perforating’ than for the ‘bifurcation’ visit in the resting-fed (5.92±1.56 vs. 3.69±1.35 mmol/60 min, P<0.01) and fed-exercise (17.38±7.73 vs. 11.40±7.31 mmol/75 min, P<0.05) states. Discussion Antecubital vein cannula position impacts calculated postprandial forearm glucose uptake. These findings have implications for longitudinal intervention studies where serial determination of forearm glucose uptake is required.