Significance of Ketone Bodies in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

As previously reported, the urinary content of ketone bodies reflects the condition of diabetics, even in those with negative qualitative test for ketone bodies. In order to elucidate the diabetic ketosis more precisely, urinary content of ketone bodies were measured quantitatively and hepatic formation of ketone bodies were measured in liver slices of alloxan diabetic rats, and the effect of treatment using insulin, sulfonylurea, mesoxalate and various types of vitamines were studied, and following results were obtained. 1. In alloxan diabetic rats, after treatment using insulin, mesoxalate, pantothenic acid or cocarboxylase, urinary excretion of ketone bodies decreased, although sulfonylurease did not show remarkable changes. 2. In addition insulin and mesoxalate added to the medium of incubation caused decrease in ketone bodies formation of liver slices of alloxan diabetic rats. 3. After treatment using insulin, mesoxalate, pantothenic acid or cocarboxylase, ketone body formation of liver slices was decreased, although sulfonylureas did not show such effect. 4. In high fat diet, urinary content of ketone bodies and ketone body formation of liver slices were found to be increased in comparison with that in high carbohydrate or high protein diet.