The turnover of blood glucose and plasma free fatty acids in the rat after acute carbon disulphide intoxication

Abstract

The turnover of plasma free fatty acids and blood glucose has been measured in starved rats exposed to inhalation of carbon disulphide (2 mg/l) for 15 hr overnight. Measurements were made following single intravenous injection of [U- 14C]palmitic acid or of [5- 3H]glucose and [U- 14C]glucose in groups of exposed and control rats. CS 2 intoxication leads to a small but significant decrease in the rate of utilization of plasma free fatty acids and it is suggested that decreased availability of plasma free fatty acids leads to the increased catabolism of amino acids and the relatively large increase in urea production which is seen in starved CS 2-treated rats. Increased urea production is not associated with an increase in the absolute rate of production and utilization of blood glucose as measured using [5- 3H]glucose. There is an increase in the fractional turnover of blood glucose, but this is accompanied by a small hypoglycaemia in starved CS 2-treated rats. The fraction of glucose carbon which is recycled is unchanged in treated rats. A comparison has been made between fed and 24 hr-starved rats in their response to exposure to CS 2 (2 mg/l) for 4 hr. The results indicate that in contrast to starved rats, plasma free fatty acid utilization increases when fed rats are exposed to CS 2 and there is no increase in urea production. Inter-relationships between these effects are discussed.