THE RESPIRATORY QUOTIENT OF PROTEINS IN PANCREATIC DIABETES

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Abstract
According to a theoretical calculation, based on the assumption that the sugar deriving from protein was not oxidized, the respiratory quotient (R.Q.) of muscle protein in complete diabetes should be 0.73, of gelatin 0.65, and of casein 0.78. In depancreatized dogs [number not stated], given sufficient protein so that it could be assumed that the R.Q. of the animal was a function of the R.Q. of the administered protein, the authors found, after meat, a quotient of 0.72, av. starvation R.Q. being 0.71. They regard this as evidence validating the Minkowski ratio, and as opposed to (1), the theory that in pancreatic diabetes the primary defect is not the failure of the sugar oxidizing mechanism; (2) the theory that fatty acids are convertible to sugar. After administering gelatin, the av. R.Q. was 0.69, which the authors feel reasonably confirms their calculation for this protein. After casein, however, the quotient was consistently lower (0.70) than was expected from the theory. They cannot explain this discrepancy.

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