STUDIES ON HYPOGLYCEMIC AND ANOXIC CONVULSIONS

Abstract

The interaction of insulin hypoglycemia and anoxia induced by the inhalation of 7% O is studied in rabbits and rats. Anoxia aggravates the hypoglycemic effect of insulin in rabbits but prevents hypoglycemic convulsions. A similar effect is obtained by inhaling 15% CO2 instead of 7% O2. Rats subjected to insulin and anoxia show convulsions much earlier than the control animals subjected to insulin alone, but the nature of these convulsions is anoxic and clinically different from insulin convulsions. Whereas inj. of glucose immediately restores the animals suffering from insulin convulsions, it has no beneficial effect on animals showing anoxic convulsions. Moreover, such convulsions can be alleviated by adm. of pure O2. The difference in the behavior of rats and rabbits is explained on the basis of the greater O2 sensitivity of small animals showing a high metabolic rate.