Blood Glucose Distribution in the Domestic Fowl

Abstract

Results and conclusions

The results of these experiments are shown in Table I. Blood glucose was distributed almost entirely in the plasma at all ages studied. Erythrocytes of the newly-hatched chick do not have more glucose in them than do those of the adult bird. Quantity of glucose found in the red cells of the newly-hatched and young chicks is less than that reported for neonatal and young animals of other species. Replacement of fetal red cells by adult types which takes place in the first 3 weeks posthatching is not characterized by a glucose distribution shift. The partition at hatching is similar to that in the foal. Since the foal has adult erythrocytes in the blood at birth and the chick has a mixture of adult and fetal cells, it would appear that the differences in distribution of blood sugar as observed in other species may not be attributed simply to differences in carbohydrate metabolism of the 2 cell types.