Abstract
To facilitate metabolic tracer studies with white rats, an instrument has been developed for the continuous analysis and recording of respiratory CO 2. This instrument measures radioactive CO 2 by means of a vibrating reed electrometer, and total CO 2 by means of infrared absorption. Specific activity is recorded separately. A linear integrator makes it possible to read total respired radioactive CO 2 at any point in a metabolic experiment. With this instrument, metabolic data may be obtained by feeding to white rats test materials with C 14 tags at appropriate positions in the molecule, and measuring radioactive and total CO 2 respired. By an indirect approach, metabolic information has been obtained on toxic agents by measuring the effect of these agents on metabolism of a normal nutrient, such as C 14 tagged glucose. The very preliminary results herein reported indicate that ingestion of toxic agents constitutes a biochemical stress with resulting changes in the metabolic pattern of glucose. Parathion and carbon tetrachloride produce significant differences in the metabolic behavior of radio-glucose in white rats subjected to single administrations of sublethal levels of the above agents.
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