In order to ascertain, whether the insulin may influence on the protein metabolism, excretion of sugar and acetonbodies in the phlorhizin diabetes, the present experiments were carried out in two female dogs weighing 10.25 kilograms and 12.50 kilograms. The dog was kept in an ordinary metabolic cage and fed on carbohydrate-rich diets (the mixture of rice 180 gms., lean beaf 75 gms., soy 10 gms., which contained carbohydrate 129.83 gms., protein 28.05 gms., fat 4.75 gms. and the mixture of rice 200 gms., lean beaf 95 gms., soy 10 gms, which contained carbohydrate 158.61 gms, protein 34.96 gms. fat 6.00 gms. for each of them.)
The urine was collected and diluted to a constant volume each day.
The method employed for estimation were : total nitrogen, Kieldahl ; urea, Plimrner-Skelton, ammonia, creatinine and creatin, Folin ; aceton and aceto-acetic acid, Messinger-Huppert ; and sugar, Pavy-Kumagawa-Sudo.
As soon as the animals were in nitrogenous equilibrium, I gm (for the first dog) or 1.2 gm (for the second dog) of phlorhizin dissolved in 20 cern. of 1 % sodium carbonate solution was injected subcutaneously, and a few days after again same dosis of phlorhizin with 6 or 7 unite of insulin was administrated subcutaneously.
These dealings were conclusively attended by the following phenomena.
I) The effect of phlorhizin injection.
a) Increase both in quantity and specific gravity of the urine.
b) Slight increase of total nitrogen and creatin output was found, but no appreciable change of the urea, ammonia and creatinin excretion.
c) Slight increase of the aceton and aceto-acetic acid excretion.
d) Remarkable output of sugar.
II) The effect of phlorhizin and insulin injection.
a) Slight increase in the quantity and specific gravity of the urine, but slight decrease in comparison with those of the former case.
b) No remarkable change of the total nitrogen, ammoniak, creatinine and creatin output, except an increase of the urea excretion.
c) Slight decrease of the aceton and aceto-acetic acid excretion in comparison with those of the former case.
d) Diminution of sugar output, 20 to 31 % less than those of the former case.
From above-mentioned results, it may be concluded as follows.
The insulin causes a diminution of the sugar and acetonbodies excretion produced by phlorhizin injection in the carbohydrate-rich diet, but seems to have no remarkable effect upon the protein metabolism. However from the fact that the excretion of urea is increased by insulin injection, it may be suggested that insulin has, if anything, some good effect upon the protein metabolism.
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