Glutose and its biochemical behavior.

Abstract

Glutose, a 3 ketohexose, prepared by the regulated action of alkali on glucose or fructose, has been investigated.

Chemically it resembles glucose in several ways. On treatment with sodium hydroxide it is converted into hydroxy acids, chiefly optically inactive lactic. On warming with phenylhydrazine in weakly alkaline solution it yields the osazone of methyl glyoxal. Zinc ammonium hydroxide converts it into methyliminazole.

Biologically it differs from glucose in several ways. In human beings, when taken by mouth, it is almost quantitatively eliminated, about half in the urine and half by bowel. Human diabetics show no change in glucose excretion when fed glutose, and the glutose is eliminated as in normals. Phlorhizinized dogs excrete glutose given subcutaneously quantitatively in the urine, and no extra glucose is formed. The respiratory quotient of 0.77 in two normals was not changed after glutose. Glutose did not protect rabbits from insulin shock. Of four individuals on high fat diet, three showed no reduction of ketosis after glutose, while one did. Thus most of the evidence points toward glutose being inert in the body.

It is of great interest in this connection that yeast did not form a hexosephosphate with glutose under conditions that led to ready hexosephosphate formation with glucose. B. coli was found to yield both acid and gas on glutose broth.

Methods of preparation and estimation will be described in a subseqent communication.