Acute metabolic effects of (i)placebo (saline), (ii)endotoxin (US standard reference E.Coli, endotoxin) and (iii)TNF-α (Beromun, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Germany) given systemically intravenously (i.v.) in 8 patients with hypopituitarism (to block stress hormone release) and in 8 healthy subjects all studied thrice. Every study comprises a 4 hour basal period and a 2 hour Hyperinsulinemic-Euglycemic Clamp. Muscle and fat biopsies were obtained.