Species differences in the disturbances of carbohydrate and ascorbic acid metabolism of rodents following administration of plague toxin

Abstract

The effect of plague toxin (fraction II ofPasteurella pestis No. 137) on the liver glycogen and blood sugar contents, and on the ascorbic acid contents of the adrenals, spleen, liver, and lungs has been examined for five species of rodents, which differed in their sensitivity to the toxin; these were: white mice (highly sensitive), gerbils (Meriones meridianus nogaiorum Heptn.) and emuranchiks (Scirtopoda telum Licht.) (less sensitive), and guinea pigs and dwarf gophers (Citellus pygmaeus Pall.) (highly resistant). Intraperitoneal injection of toxin was followed within 30 minutes by a fall in liver glycogen content, a rise in blood sugar level, and a fall in the ascorbic acid content of the organs examined. The magnitude of the changes observed showed some correlation with the sensitivity of the given species to the toxin. Injection of toxin into hibernating dwarf gophers had no effect on their liver glycogen or blood sugar contents, or on the ascorbic acid contents of the adrenals and spleen, whereas in the spring, after termination of hibernation, these animals were as sensitive to the toxin as were white mice.