George W. Pucher

Comparative study of the blood sugar concentration in the arterial and venous blood of diabetic patients during insulin action.

The conclusions reached in the preceding abstract led to the study of the differences in blood sugar concentrations in arterial and venous blood of normal and diabetic subjects during the action of insulin. The arterial blood was collected from the finger according to the technique of Foster. 1 Sugar was determined by the Hagedorn and Jensen method. 2 The difference in the sugar concentration in arterial and venous blood of normal fasting individuals was found to be 5.5 mg. (average of 16 cases). For diabetic patients the difference in sugar content of the artery and vein was very variable ranging from 0-28 mg., the difference being in general higher than for normal persons. During insulin action 6 out of the 7 diabetics examined showed a larger intake of sugar by the muscle. The highest observed difference was 35 mg. One case showed a diminished intake of sugar by the muscle during insulin action dropping to 0 three hours after the insulin injection. This indicates, as in the case of animals, that diabetic patients may react in several ways toward insulin. No conclusive data have as yet been obtained regarding the behaviour of the muscle of normal subjects during insulin action. In the three cases examined the muscle took up more sugar only during the early period of the insulin action.

Chemical Analysis of Incubated Non-Fertile Eggs.

Fresh eggs, procured from White Leghorn chickens, were analyzed to obtain data on the chemical changes occurring before incubation. Then eggs from the same source were incubated, and the non-fertile ones analyzed at various periods of time, up to 20 days, for carbohydrate, and non-protein nitrogen constituents, using a protein free filtrate prepared by the Folin-Wu method. Table I presents a summary of the data obtained. The following conclusions may be drawn: All (99.2%) of the free sugar of the albumin is fermentable in contrast to the yolk, which contains a small amount of non-fermentable sugar (from 7 to 12%). The hydrolyzable sugar content of the albumin is greater than that of the yolk. Only a relatively small proportion (40 to 50%) of this is fermentable by yeast. The free amino acid and non-protein nitrogen content of the yolk is very high, as compared with that of the albumin. Incubated, sterile, non-fertile eggs do not undergo any appreciable changes in their free sugar, hydrolyzable sugar or non-protein nitrogen constituents, over an incubation period of 20 days.

A new method for the colorimetric determination of small concentrations of thymol.

In order to evaluate the thymol content of sodium-fluoride, thymol mixtures used for the preservation of blood samples, the following simple method was devised. Sulphanilic acid is diazotized and then coupled with thymol in alkaline solution. A reddish brown color stable for at least 50 minutes is obtained. The only alkali that gives satisfactory results is NaHCO3. METHOD (outline). 3 cc. of a 0.6 per cent sulphanilic acid solution (contains theory HC1 necessary to form sulphanilic acid hydrochloride) and 0.5 cc. of 2.0 per cent HC1 are pipetted into a sugar tube (Myers-Benedict). 0.5 cc. of a 1.5 per cent aqueous solution of NaNO2 are then added and after one minute 1 to 5 cc. of the thymol solution to be analyzed. (The number of cc. of thymol solution used is diluted so that it will not contain more than 0.5 mg. thymol.) Allow to react 1 minute and then add 2 cc. of a 3.0 per cent NaHCO3 solution. Set aside in diffused light for 10 minutes and then read in a colorimeter against a standard thymol solution 2 cc. of which contains 0.2 mg. (or 0.5 mg.) thymol. Thymol solutions are best prepared by first dissolving the thymol in a small volume of alcohol and then diluting to volume with distilled water. In order to obtain the best results by this method the reagents listed above must be prepared and used with an accuracy of at least ±5.0 per cent.

Comparative reduction values of carbohydrates by Hagedorn-Jensen, Meyer-Benedict and Folin-Wu Methods.

Summary 1. Our values except those for levulose agree with the data of previous investigators. 2. Levulose has a higher reduction value than glucose. 3. The difference in behavior of galactose and glucose toward Folin-Wu copper solution is not due to difference in velocity of reduction or differences in pH, but to structural differences in the two sugars. 4. Glucose picric acid standards used in the Benedict-Lewis methods are stable for a period of at least two years.