ACTION OF INSULIN ON THE ‘PERMEABILITY’ OF CELLS TO FREE HEXOSES, AS STUDIED BY ITS EFFECT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF GALACTOSE

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Abstract
Dogs and rats were eviscerated and nephrectomized and given intraven. injns. of glucose, galactose, urea, creatinine and sucrose. Blood levels for glucose revealed a continuous fall, in keeping with the con-tinous utilization of glucose. The other substances established constant blood levels within 1.5 hrs., in keeping with the distr. of non-utilized, non-excreted substances. Insulin resulted in the establishment of lower galactose blood levels, which were again essentially constant. Urea, creatinine and sucrose levels were unaffected by insulin. Recovery expts. failed to reveal any evidence for utilization of galactose in the absence of liver, kidney and intestine. These organs were excluded in our expts. Insulin acts to promote the distr. of galactose and not its utilization. Maximal effect of insulin occurred when distr. had reached 70% of body wt., i.e., total body water. An hypothesis of insulin action is proposed which attributes to insulin the role of facilitating the rate of transfer of some hexoses into the cell, as opposed to concepts of a direct effect on the rates of action of intracellular enzymes.