Effect of Ethanol on Plasma Glucose and Insulin in the Fasted Dog.

Abstract

Summary 1. Plasma alcohol levels of 143 to 286 mg % were achieved by intravenous infusion of ethanol (0.5 to 1.0 g per kg) into 9 dogs which had been deprived of food for varying periods. Three patterns of blood sugar response were observed: Blood sugar rose in a single animal which had been fasted for 36 hours; hypoglycemia occurred in 6 of 8 animals which had been starved for 3 to 8 days; and blood sugar was unaltered in the remaining 2 animals. 2. Concurrent changes in circulating immunologically-reac-X Since the completion of the present studies, Lochner and Madison(16) have reported that ethanol invariably lowers blood sugar in dogs with chronic end-to-side portacaval shunts which have been fasted for 3 days. Their more uniform experience might reflect a more percarious balance of endogenous glucose production in the “shunted” animal, a suggestion which is reinforced by the recent demonstration that such dogs exhibit an altered response to exogenous insulin (17).