Abstract
The effects of the intravenous infusion of dihydroxyacetone (DHA) on the metabolism and insulin release were investigated in nondiabetic and diabetic human subjects and in some patients having endocrine abnormalities.
1) In non-diabetic subjects, metabolites changes suchas decreases in the levels of blood sugar, plasma inorganic phosphate, free fatty acids and total acetone bodies were observed significantly, while the blood lactate concentration increased in parallel with the pyruvate and plasma immunoreactive insulin (IRI) levels tended to rise.
These findings suggest that administered DHA seems to be utilized via glycolytic pathway.
2) In well controlled diabetics, very similar effects seen in non-diabetics on the metabolism were observed. However, there were an increasing tendency in blood sugar and plasma glycerol and a profound drop in blood redox potential in diabetics not satisfactorilly controlled.
Therefore in not well controlled diabetics, these results ndicate the possibility that the administered DHA might be metabolized mainly via the gluconegenic pathway rather than glycolytic.
3) DHA showed the hypoglycemic effects on the patients of acromegaly or primary aldosteronism in some extent, and especially in case of insulinoma.
4) It was ascertained that DHA had an insulinogenic action even in diabetics as well as in those with acromegaly and aldosteronism.
