Experimental Hyperglycæmia by Injection of Intermediary Fat Metabolism Products in Rabbits

Abstract

BEST and his associates¹ recently reported hydropic degeneration and degranulation of the β-cells through the injection of anterior pituitary extract similar to those observed in the remnants of Allen's partially depancreatized dogs and ascribe those to overwork. The recent findings of Dunn and his associates^2,3 on experimental alloxan diabetes have created great interest in the subject. Though this substance may bring about conditions of glycosuria and hyperglycæmia in animals, the nature of degeneration in the β-cells has been shown to be different from that caused by anterior pituitary injection or through clinical diabetes and the physiological significance has not been known as yet. Adams⁴ and Joslin⁵ regard obesity as a precursor of diabetes, and it is reasonable to believe that the intermediary metabolism products formed during improper oxidation of fat might be concerned in causing hyperglycæmia and other associated troubles in an individual. It may be recorded here that repeated injection of these types of chemical substances (for example, β-hydroxy-butyric acid, acetoacetic acid, pyruvic acid, etc.) have been found to cause hyperglycæmia in rabbits.