Truncal vagotomy does not affect postabsorptive glucose metabolism in humans. Corssmit, Epm, Jjb Van Lanschot, Ja Romijn, E Endert, Hp Sauerwein. Departments of Endocrinology, Internal Medicine, Surgery and Critical Care from the Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
APStracts 2:0099A, 1995.
To evaluate the effects of hepatic vagal denervation on the adaptation of glucose metabolism to short-term starvation (i.e.<24 hours), glucose metabolism was studied after 16 and again after 22 hrs of fasting in postsurgical patients with truncal vagotomy (n=9: radical resection of esophageal carcinoma) and without truncal vagotomy (n=5: partial resection of the large bowel for carcinoma). Glucose metabolism was studied 3-7.5 months postoperatively by 3-3H-glucose turnover and by indirect calorimetry. Basal glucose production, plasma glucose concentration, glucose oxidation, serum FFA concentration and fat oxidation were not different between groups, neither were plasma concentrations of glucoregulatory hormones. The adaptation to prolongation of the fast by 6 h was not different for any of these parameters between both groups. In conclusion, truncal vagotomy does not affect the adaptation of glucose metabolism to the postabsorptive state (16-22 h of fasting).

Received 9 December 1994; accepted in final form 7 March 1995.
APS Manuscript Number A1250-4.
Article publication pending Journal of Applied Physiology.
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 21 March 1995.