TRIGLYCF^RIDES AND PWTTV ACIDS 177 



as indicating that glucose inhibits tho endogenous fasting ketonuria, thus 

 acting antiketogenically.-'^^ The administered ketogenic acids can then 

 replace the endogenous ketone bodies and be entirely oxidized by the 

 peripheral tissues, without a resulting ketonuria. However, Deuel and 

 Morehouse^" pointed out that this interpretation is not consistent with the 

 isodynaniic law, even if one assumes 100% transformation of fat to ketone 

 bodies. 



f. The Effect of Glucose on the Rate of Disappearance of Ketone 

 Bodies in the Intact Animal: Other experimental evidence important in 

 determining whether the ketolytic or the antiketogenic theory best explains 

 the inhibitor}^ action of glucose on ketone body formation involved studies 

 of the effect of glucose on the rate of disappearance of the ketone bodies, 

 Chaikoff and Soskin^'^* were unable to demonstrate an}'- alteration in the 

 rate of utilization of acetoacetate when injected into eviscerated, nephrec- 

 tomized dogs, irrespective of whether or not glucose was present. Utiliza- 

 tion values in both cases varied between 120 and 130 mg./kg./hr.^^^ 

 On the other hand, the rate of utilization of acetoacetate was only 8.5 

 mg./kg./hr. in the case of a depancreatized, nephrectomized dog, as 

 contrasted with a figure of 210 mg./kg./hr. in a diabetic eviscerated dog.^^^ 

 The variation in this case was explained by the fact that the ketone bodies 

 were added to the blood in the first instance by the liver. Mirsky and 

 co-workers were unable to demonstrate any alteration in the rate of 

 disappearance of injected acetoacetate as a result of the administration of 

 glucose to nephrectomized rabbits"^ or of injected |8-hydroxybutyrate after 

 it was given to nephrectomized rats.^'^^ However, Deuel and associates"^ 

 found that /3-hydrox3^butyrate was oxidized to an amount statistically 

 greater in glucose-fed rats than in fasted nephrectomized rats. Thus, in 

 the 75-minute interval after the injection of /3-hydroxybutyrate, 22.5 ± 

 1.5 mg. and 12.6 ±1.2 mg. per 100 sq. cm. were oxidized by the glucose- 

 fed animals and by the fasted rats, respectively. The corresponding values 

 for the 150-minute interval were 23.2 ± 0.4 mg. and 15.4 ±1.3 mg. per 

 100 sq. cm., respectiA'ely. In the tests by Deuel et al.,^"" especially purified 

 /3-h3'droxybutyrate was used, and the depressing effect of ether and of 

 trauma on carbohydrate metabolism was prevented by carrying out the 

 nephrectomies on the day prior to the experiment. 



g'. The Effect of Glucose on the Rate of Disappearance of Ketone 

 Bodies in Liver Slices in vitro: Since the liver is able to synthesize ketone 

 bodies as well as to utilize them, the ketone body balance in liver under 

 any set of conditions will be the sum of the two effects. A number of 

 workers have recognized that the liver is the chief organ of ketogene- 



