STUDIES IN SERUM ELECTROLYTES. IX. THE CHANGE IN TOTAL QUANTITY AND OSMOLAL CONCENTRATION OF GLUCOSE AND CHLORIDE IN THE SERUM AFTER THE INGESTION OF GLUCOSE BY DIABETIC PATIENTS

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Abstract
Blood was removed from 18 fasting diabetic patients before and 1 1/2 hrs. after ingestion of glucose. The increase in the conc. of glucose in the serum as moles per kgm. of water was accompanied by a decrease in the conc. of chloride in the same units in ca. the ratio of 3.8/1. Assuming that the amt. of solids in the serum, except glucose and chloride, remained constant during the brief period of an exp., calculation of the amts. of glucose, chloride and water present before and after in relation to these residual solids indicated that after the ingestion of glucose there was an increase in the total quantity, not only of glucose but also of chloride and water present in the serum. The increase in chloride was 0-103 m.Eq. per kgm. added water. The increment in glucose plus chloride calculated in relation to the increment of water gave an av. value representing a higher osmolal conc. than that of the fasting serum. The final results obtained after ingestion of glucose by diabetics, therefore, were an increase in glucose conc. a decrease in chloride conc. and an increase in osmotic pressure and in the total quantities of glucose, chloride, and water of the serum. In the serum of diabetics the disturbance caused by uptake of glucose is distributed among at least 3 other variables: serum volume, osmotic pressure, and chloride conc. The exps. show that a change in conc. of a single component (e.g., glucose) tends to disturb the conc. of other components of the serum and to induce transfers of some of them to or from the serum.

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