Metabolism of glycerol in diabetes mellitus.

Abstract

The metabolism of glycerol was studied by intravenous and oral glycerol tolerance test (single dose of 5 g orally and 2.4 g intravenously) in 15 healthy and 17 diabetic subjects.- The intestinal absorption of glycerol was rapid, the maximum serum level of glycerol occurring 15 minutes after the intake. In diabetic subjects the increment of serum glycerol was significantly smaller than in control cases. However, three patients with hyperlipemia and diabetes formed a striking exception in having abnormally high peak glycerol levels. The plasma FFA level was not altered by oral glycerol. Blood glucose remained unchanged in the controls, but rose on an average 13 mg/100 ml in insulin-requiring diabetics. The intravenous glycerol disappearance curves were analysed by an electronic computer. With a few exceptions the result was compatible with a one-compartment kinetic model. The fractional disappearance rate of glycerol from this pool was significantly smaller in diabetics (0.041 min−1) than in control subjects (0.059 min−1). However, the total disappearance rate was twice as high in the diabetic as in the control group (mean values 3.85 and 1.73 μmolesper minute per kilogram, respectively).