STUDIES ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF GLYCEROL ON THE ANIMAL ORGANISM

Abstract

In studies of replacement of carbohydrate by glycerol in the diet of rats (40 wks.) to a point where glycerol constituted 41% by wt. of the total food intake, and in the diet of dogs (50 wks.) until it amounted to 35% of the intake, normal growth occurred. Reproduction in rats was unaffected. Addition of glycerol to a rat diet qualitatively adequate but quantitatively just sufficient for maintenance of body wt. caused a resumption of normal growth. Addition of 110 gm. of glycerol per day (50 days) to an adequate diet in man produced a slight tendency toward increased body wt. and did not affect the red or white cell counts or Hb content of the blood. Ingestion by growing dogs of 9 gm. of glycerol per kgm. per day for nearly a yr. did not change the red blood cell count. In neither man nor dogs was albuminuria or hemoglobinuria produced from glycerol taken orally, though both phenomena were produced in dogs upon parenteral administration. Glycerol per os in relatively large quantities exerts a diuretic action in dogs and rats, but in quantities fed to man it lacked this effect. Glycerol ingestion produced no adverse subjective effects in man and no changes in the body temp. of man and dogs or in general appearance and behavior of rats and dogs. In man the basal metabolism and uric acid excretion were not significantly affected, and activity of the large intestine (daily no. and consistency of stools) was unaffected. No gross or microscopic pathology was detected in rats and dogs reared (for nearly a year) on diets of high glycerol content.