Sex differences in insulin and glucagon responses for glucose homeostasis in young healthy Japanese adults

Abstract

It has been reported that glucose responses during the oral glucose tolerance test differ between healthy women and men. However, it remains unknown what factors contribute to these differences between the sexes. The present study analyzed the insulin and glucagon responses during the oral glucose tolerance test in 25 female and 38 male healthy young adults aged 22–30 years. The plasma glucose levels at 120 min were significantly higher in women than men. Insulin secretion was significantly greater at 30, 90 and 120 min from baseline in women than men. Glucagon suppression was greater at 30 and 120 min from baseline in men than women when determined by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay glucagon kit. These results suggest that the differences in glucose responses during the oral glucose tolerance test are mediated by the difference between the sexes in bi-hormonal responses in healthy individuals.