THE RESPONSE OF THE LIVER TO THE ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF GLUCOSE

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Abstract
Blood sugar and lactic acid detns. on portal, hepatic, saphenous or cephalic leg venous, and on arterial samples, before and after the administration of glucose to normal unanesthetized dogs with cannulae on the portal and hepatic veins (technique of London) were made. In the fasting animal the liver added glucose (average 8 mg. per 100 cc.) to the blood and removed or did not change lactic acid. The skeletal muscles and gastro-intestinal tract removed or did not change glucose and added or did not change lactic acid. After oral administration of glucose the portal venous blood contained up to 40 mg. more of this substance than arterial blood, and up to 29 mg. per 100 cc. were removed by the liver. Removal of glucose by the liver continued even when the blood sugar level ceased to rise, thus indicating that diffusion into the liver could not be responsible. This confirms recent investigations on unanesthetized cats and previous observations on unanesthetized dogs, and is opposed to other findings on decapitate and anesthetized animals. The use of normal unanesthetized animals in such studies appears to be essential. After oral glucose the amt. of lactic acid removed by the liver decreased and in most instances this organ added lactic acid to the blood. When glucose is available as a glycogen precursor, gluconeogenesis from other sources stops and the lactic acid produced by the liver as a result of its own metabolic processes is discharged into the blood stream. The administration of glucose by mouth has no apparent effect upon the addition of lactic acid or removal of glucose by the skeletal muscles or the intestinal tract. The preceding conclusions are drawn in the light of an analysis of the sources of error present in such detns.

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