Absolute Rates of Glucose Production, Accumulation, and Utilization in the Dog at Pancreatectomy and Thereafter

Abstract

The method of successive measured injections of tracer has been used to determine absolute rates of glucose appearance (production), accumulation, disappearance, excretion and utilization in 6 fasting bitches at times before and after total pancreatectomy. The rate of glucose utilization underwent a great reduction within minutes following pancreatectomy. In contrast, the rate of glucose production did not change greatly at this time. As a consequence, there was a rapid accumulation of glucose in the dog when measured in terms of the amount which intermixed with the injected tracer, and as seen less directly by a rise in the concentration of glucose in the blood plasma. The increase in blood glucose level following pancreatectomy was accompanied by a restoration in the average rate of glucose utilization to about two thirds of its value before pancreatectomy, and by glycosuria. Both the rate of production and that of utilization increased moderately during the first 1 or 2 days following total pancreatectomy. Thereafter they decreased progressively and ketonuria became severe. No effect of general anesthesia (Nembutal) was noted on the above patterns of change in glucose rates.