To better understand abnormal insulin production (IP) in states of carbohydrate intolerance, insulin release was quantified following equimolar (2.4 mmol/kg) infusions of glucose, arginine, and valine in healthy subjects ([HS] age, 45 +/- 3 years; body mass index [BMI, kg/m2], 26.3 +/- 2.4; means +/- SEM), obese subjects with impaired glucose tolerance ([IGT] age, 43 +/- 5 years; BMI, 35.4 +/- 2.4), and non-obese patients with chronic non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus ([NIDDM] age, 55 +/- 3 years; BMI, 26.4 +/- 1.4; duration of disease, 13 +/- 3 years). There were eight subjects per group. Incremental IP (metabolic clearance rate of C-peptide [MCRCP] x total incremental area under the curve of plasma C-peptide [AUCCP], pmol/kg) following substrate infusion was as follows: glucose: HS, 227 +/- 14; IGT, 1,050 +/- 184 (P < .001 v HS); NIDDM, 114 +/- 27 (P < .001 v HS); arginine: HS, 139 +/- 23; IGT, 488 +/- 106 (P < .01 v HS); NIDDM, 206 +/- 47; and valine: HS, 21 +/- 7; IGT, 32 +/- 10; NIDDM, 54 +/- 12 (P < .01 v HS). The fractional clearance rate ([FCR] k, %/min) was impaired in IGT and NIDDM for glucose (HS, 3.9 +/- 0.4; IGT, 2.3 +/- 0.3 [P < .01 v HS]; NIDDM, 1.4 +/- 0.1 [P < .001 v HS]), arginine (2.4 +/- 0.1; 1.9 +/- 0.2 [P < .01 v HS]; 1.9 +/- 0.2 [P < .01 v HS]), and valine (0.95 +/- 0.06; 0.65 +/- 0.09 [P < .05 v HS]; 0.74 +/- 0.1 [P < .05 v HS]).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)