Decrease in β-Cell Mass Leads to Impaired Pulsatile Insulin Secretion, Reduced Postprandial Hepatic Insulin Clearance, and Relative Hyperglucagonemia in the Minipig

Most insulin is secreted in discrete pulses at an interval of ∼6 min. Increased insulin secretion after meal ingestion is achieved through the mechanism of amplification of the burst mass. Conversely, in type 2 diabetes, insulin secretion is impaired as a consequence of decreased insulin pulse mass. β-cell mass is reported to be deficient in type 2 diabetes. We tested the hypothesis that decreased β-cell mass leads to decreased insulin pulse...