Muscular dystrophy. VI. Diminished blood sugar and serum electrolyte responses to epinephrine.

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In recent studies in this and in other laboratories it has been shown that even though glucose tolerance tests are normal in muscular dystrophy the serum electrolyte responses to acceleration of carbohydrate metabolism often differ from these seen in normal subjects. Thus, Van Bekkum and Querido have reported that the administration of dextrose produced a smaller decrease in the serum inorganic phosphorus of adult patients in the far-advanced stage of muscular dystrophy. 1 This was not evident in our series of children with early and late forms of the disorder. 2 However, the administration of insulin to members of this same group produced less of a drop in serum inorganic phosphorus, serum potassium, and serum bicarbonate; this was also true when insulin and dextrose were administered in combination. 2 In the studies with dextrose or with insulin alone the venous blood-sugar responses were within the range observed in control subjects