SERUM β-GLUCURONIDASE ACTIVITY FOLLOWING THE ADMINISTRATION OF VARIOUS SUGARS AND ANTIDIABETICS IN RABBITS

Abstract

A close positive correlation has been found in this laboratory between serum β-glucuronidase activity and blood glucose level immediately following administration of glucose, epinephrine and insulin to normal fasted rabbits (1). Similar correlation has also been shown in hyperglycemia of a long term produced by alloxan administration to rabbits (2). On the other hand, it has been known that serum β-glucuronidase activity is higher in diabetic patients than in normal subjects (3-9). In view of the possible bearing of the serum β-glucuronidase-blood glucose level correlation on diabetes mellitus in man, it was felt essentially important to investigate this relationship in more detail. There are several questions to be answered in this study: 1) dose the serum β-glucuronidase activity increase occur following administration of sugars other than glucose; 2) specifically, is it not merely due to physicochemical changes of blood such as the increase in the osmolarity; 3) if this phenomenon is specific for certain sugars, is such specificity related to possible disturbances in glucose metabolism ; and, 4) what effects do different types of antidiabetics have on serum β-glucuronidase activity. The study reported here thus describes the relationships between the serum β-glucuronidase activity and blood glucose level and between the activity and the levels of administered sugars, following administration of various sugars and antidiabetics to rabbits.