Studies on the metabolism of animals on a carbohydrate-free diet

Abstract

There were no marked changes following the subcut. injection of pitocin into rats on either a carbohydrate-rich or a carbohydrate-free diet. Pitressin, however, had definite effects on carbohydrate-fed rats. At first, there was a hyperglycemia accompanied by a fall of glycogen in the liver and an increase in the muscles. There was a deposition of fat in the liver and the I value of the fat decreased. The liver-fat reached a maximum at about 5 to 7 hrs. When the liver-glycogen again had reached a maximum, the liver fat had returned to normal. Similar results, but less pronounced, were obtained with non-carbohydrate-fed rats.