1970 Volume 13 Issue 2 Pages 211-217
As to the abnormalities of carbohydrate metabolism in diabetes mellitus, manifest depression in Embden-Myerhof cycle and Warburg Dickens pathway was pointed out. In addition, an attention was retently drawn to the hyperactivity of glucuronic acid (G. A.) pathway in diabetes mellitus, especially in relation to abnormalities of mucopolysaccharide metabolism.
In order to make the above remarks clear, several metabolic factors: in G. A. pathway were studied in alloxan diabetic (A. D.) rats.
Determinations of uridine diphosphoglucose dehy-drogenase (UDPG-DH) activity, glucuronyl transferase (Trf.) activity, and of uridine diphosphate glucuronic acid (UDPGA) level in the liver were performed as the factors related to the glucuronidation. And determinations of β-Glucuronidase (β-Gase) activities both in the liver and serum, and of glucuronolactone dehydrogenase (GAL-DH) activity in the liver were also carried out as the factors related to hydrolysis of glucuronides.
The results obtained were as follows;
1) Mean value of fasting blood sugar level was 131±12 mg/dl in control rats, and 483±43 mg/dl in A. D. rats, showing a significant elevation comparing to the control. Urine sugar level in A. D. rats ranged from 0.1g/dl to 0.25 g/dl.
2) A significant depression in UDPG-DH was observed in A. D. rats.
3) UDPGA level was slightly elevated in A. D. rats compared with the control, however no significant difference was observed between the two groups.
4) Trf. activity was slightly depressed also without significant difference.
5)β-Gase activities both in the liver and serum were significantly increased in A. D. rats.
The increase was, however, scarcely related to the other factors of G. A. pathway. The increase of the enzyme may be caused by the elevation of its production.
6) No significant change was observed in GAL. DH activities between control and A. D. rats.
In short, it was concluded that the metabolism in G. A. pathway was not elevated, but rather depressed in the diabetic state.
