As a part of the studies on the difference of the disturbances in the carbohydrate metabolism in liver diseases and diabetes mellitus, alterations of serum inorganic phosphorus and serum potassium by intravenous glucose tolerance test, and the mechanism causing those alterations were studied. The results were as follows:
(1)Thirty grams of glucose (50% solution) was administered intravenously to 6 normal subjects, 13 cases of diabetes mellitus and 36 cases of various liver diseases. Although glucose tolerance was diminished in both diseases, the depletion rate of serum inorganic phosphorus and serum potassium was low in diabetics and high in liver diseases.
(2) The same results in the glucose tolerance test of the diabetic rabbits (induced by alloxan) and the liver-injured rabbits (induced by CCl
4) were obtained as in the human paients.
(3) Glucose uptake, glycogenesis, invasion of serum inorganic phorphorus, rate of increase of potassium and each fractions of phosphate, in liver and muscles, were all diminished generally in the intravenous glucose tolerance test of the diabetic rabbits. In the same test of the liver-injured rabbits, although glucose uptake, glycolysis, formation ofΔ7P of the liver were diminished, rate of increase of potassium in the liver and the muscles, carbohydrate and phosphate metabolism in the muscles were all normal.
(4) Consequently, serum inorganic phosphate invades mainly into tne muscles and partially into the liver, and serum potassium invades equally into both the liver and the muscles, after intravenous admistration of glucose. This causes difference in liver diseases and diabetes.
(5) The rate of depletion of the serum inorganic phosphate and serum potassium after intravenous administration of glucose is an index of whole carbohydrate metabolism of the body.
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