Studies on the Effects of 2:4 Dinitrophenol on Liverless and Diabetic Dogs

Abstract

Liverless dogs with or without continuous glucose admn. on being given 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) showed a much more marked rise in rectal temp. than did normal controls. On on intraven. dosage of 10 mg./kg. with admn. of glucose, these animals almost invariably died of hyperpyrexia with a rectal temp. of 110[degree] F. This dosage was well tolerated by normal animals. Thus the liver acts to detoxify this drug and minimize its effects upon the organism. If the animals were placed in a cool bath, the fatal hyperpyrexia could be prevented. After DNP admn. the blood sugar always rose in normal animals while in diabetic animals the response was variable. In liverless animals not given glucose, DNP had no elevating effect on the rapidly falling blood sugar. Hypoglycemic symptoms occurred earlier and at a higher blood sugar level in liverless dogs not given glucose if they were given DNP than if this drug were not administered. The actions of DNP and insulin were shown to be essentially independent of one another.