Xylitol metabolism in hepatic disorders

Abstract

1.ΣXyli. was quite high in the liver disease groups in contrast to the control, and there was no significant difference among ΣXyli. in liver cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis and acute hepatitis.
2. T-1/2 was significantly longer in liver cirrhosis than in the other liver diseases and in healthy controls.
3.ΣXyli. and T-1/2 had good correlation with BSP excretion, ICG disapperance rate, cholin esterase and A/G.ΣXyli. had a positive relation with S-GPT, whereas T-1/2 had no relation with it.
4. The amount of urinary excretion of xylitol in oral test was small and had a good correlation with ΣXyli.
5. After oral and intravenous administration of xylitol, there was almost no change in serum glucose level in healthy controls and in patients with liver diseases, while the serum glucose level showed remarkable elevation in diabetics. For the further studies on xylitol metabolism with relation to glucose metabolism in hepatic disorder, the experiments were carried out both in vivo and in vitro, using the normal and acute CCl4-damaged rats.
6. Both xylitol and glucose metabolism were disturbed in hepatic disorder, experimentally.
7. The gluconeogenesis from xylitol was disturbed in hepatic disorder.
8. Both in normal state and in hepatic disorder, xylitol metabolism was not depressed by the co-existence of glucose, and xylitol was more readily metabolized than glucose.
9. Glucose metabolism was considerably depressed by the co-existence of xylitol in normal state, but this depression was not clearly demonstrated in hepatic disorder