The Metabolism of Maltose After Intravenous Injection in Normal and Diabetic Subjects

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Abstract
The metabolism of intravenously administered maltose was compared with glucose in 5 fasting, adult, noninsulin-dependent, mildly diabetic subjects and contrasted with normal controls. After an iv injection of 25 g maltose containing 5 μCi maltose-U-14C or 25 g glucose containing either 5 μCi glucose-1-14C or glucose-U-14C, expired breath and urine were collected over a 6-hr period. Blood samples obtained at 0, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min were assayed for insulin, total reducing substances and glucose. Equal amounts of maltose and glucose were oxidized to 14CO2. The rate of oxidation for maltose was much slower with a peak 14CO2 excretion 100 min later than for glucose. Diabetic subjects showed a delayed peak 14CO2 excretion after both sugars compared with normal subjects.Serum glucose concentration after maltose infusion remained less than 95 mg/10 ml over the entire 2-hr period, in contrast to the elevation of serum glucose following glucose administration. The increase in total serum reducing substances was similar after maltose and glucose administration. In normal and diabetic subjects, there was a significant rise in serum insulin after maltose injection, however, this increase was greater after glucose. Diabetic subjects showed an abnormal iv glucose tolerance test and higher serum insulin levels at 60, 90, and 120 min after glucose infusion as compared to normal subjects. Circulating maltose may enter cells intact and subsequently be metabolized in a manner similar to glucose by both normal and diabetic subjects.

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