Abstract
GLUCOSE is carried to its metabolic sites directly by plasma water and only indirectly by red blood cells. Accordingly, the intravenous glucose tolerance test would convey greater information if it were reported in terms of plasma glucose concentration. Yet whole blood is currently used in such determinations. Whole blood contains glucose in both red blood cells and plasma, and since the transport between them is moderately slow the concentrations are generally different when blood glucose-levels are rapidly changing. For example, if plasma water glucose concentration is suddenly raised from 100 to 200 mgm. per cent, data of Bowyer and Widdas1 indicate that it would take 17 min. for the glucose concentration in the red blood cell water to reach 190 mgm. per cent.
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Seed, J. C., Acton, F. S., and Stunkard, A. J. (in preparation).
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SEED, J., ACTON, F. & STUNKARD, A. Improvement of the Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test. Nature 186, 808 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1038/186808a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/186808a0
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