Studing on the relationship between Glucose (G) and potassium (K) metabolism of liver in normal subjects, hepatitis and cirrhosis etc., following results were obtained.
1) In cases with liver disease, fasting arterial plasma potassium level (PK
A) was somewhat lower than in normal subjects.
2) In fasting state, hepatic mobilization of G and K was admitted in control subjects, but in hepatitis and cirrhosis, to less degree. Significant correlation was observed between the amount of G mobilized from liver and that of K.
3) After intravenous injection of glucose (0.5gm per Kg), hepatic uptake of G and K occured, resulting in arterial blood sugar (G
A) fall and PK
A decrease in normal subjects, but the effect was lesser in hepatitis and cirrhosis. The rate of G
A fall was significantly correlated with the decrease of PK
A. Furthermore G
A fall and PK
A decrease seemed to be proportional with the grade of hepatic G and K uptake respectively.
4) After intravenous injection of insulin (0.1unit per Kg), hepatic uptake of K and reduction of hepatic G mobilization occured, resulting in the decrease of G
A and PK
A in normal subjects, but the effect was lesser in hepatitis and cirrhosis. Significant correlation was observed between the decrease of G
A and that of PK
A. Furthermore the decrease of G
A and PK
A seemed to be proportional with the grade of reduction of hepatic G mobilization and the grade of hepatic K uptake respectively.
5) Subcutaneous injection of adrenaline (0.01mg per kg) in normal subjects, caused G
A increase and PK
A decrease simultaneously, but had a lesser effect in cirrhosis. There was no close relationship between G
A increase and PK
A decrease, and for PK
A decrease, apparent hepatic uptake of K was not observed. Intravenous rapid injection of adrenaline (0.02gm) to normal dogs, caused hepatic mobilization of G and K, resulting in the increase of G
A and PK
A, but had a lesser effect in dogs injured with CCl
4. The increase of G
A was significantly correlated with the increase of PK
A. Furthermore the increase of G
A and PK
A seemed to be proportional with the grade of hepatic mobilization of G and K respectively. The change of K always preceded that of G.
6) After the oral administration of KCl (5gm), slight increase of G
A was observed in normal subjects, and the effect was quite similar in hepatitis and cirrhosis. After intravenous injection of KCl (20mg per kg as K), hepatic mobilization of G and K occured, resulting in the increase of G
A. There was no close relationship between the increase of G
A and the change of PK
A, but the increase of G
A seemed to be proportional with the grade of G mobilization from liver. The effect was lesser in dogs injured with CCl
4, but the rate of K disappearance from arterial blood was not altered.
7) In two cases with familial periodic paralysis, striking abnormality in G and K metabolism was observed. In them, the uptake of G and K after intravenous injection of glucose or insulin was more apparent in peripheral tissues than liver.
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