Insulin stimulates the release from liver plasma membranes of a chemical modulator of pyruvate dehydrogenase

Incubation of a rat liver particulate fraction with physiological concentrations of insulin enhances the production of a small molecular weight substance which modulates adipocyte as well as liver mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase. While low concentrations of insulin enhance production of this activity, levels of greater than 10^?9M produce significantly less. Similarly, while increasing concentrations of mediator cause increased stimulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase activity, higher concentrations no longer exhibit this effect. The putative insulin mediator was partially purified on HPLC and Sephadex G-25 columns. Its molecular weight was about 1000–2000. These results indicate the presence of a chemical mediator of insulin action in liver similar to that observed in other insulin target tissues.