Overview of glucose regulation

Glucose homeokinesis is a remarkable process that provides glucose to the body for energy and a constant source of glucose to the brain while preventing hyperglycemia. The latter leads to excessive glycosylation of proteins, changing their structure and function and eventually affecting every organ system in the body. Despite a variable diet of feast and famine throughout the day, the body maintains strict blood glucose levels through a remarkable network between the pancreas, liver, adipose tissue, muscle, and brain. These interactions and both glucose production and utilization are discussed. Glucose production is governed by the liver, which can generate free glucose from hepatic glycogen stores and de novo through gluconeogenesis. Specific glucose transporters found on every cell of the body administer glucose utilization. Each transporter works with a different serum glucose level. The mechanism of these transporters and the specific glucose cycles are discussed. The purpose of this article is to review glucose regulation; it serves as a reference for the other presentations of this symposium.