Abstract
In the fall of 1925 at the suggestion of Dr. Bela Schick we investigated a diabetic child with refractory periods to insulin. The study of this case led us to investigate the inhibitory effect of blood on insulin activity.
Our experiments have all been done with rabbits. Unless otherwise stated, all work was done as follows. One physiological or 3 clinical units of insulin were mixed with the substance investigated and incubated at 37° C. from 1 to 2 hours, then injected subcutaneously into rabbits, weighing 2 kilos, starved during the preceding 24 hours. Hourly blood sugar determination and clinical observations were made.
The results summarized were as follows:
2-4 cc. of human plasma caused hardly any inhibition of insulin action.
5 cc. of human plasma caused moderate inhibition of insulin action.
10 cc. of human plasma caused marked inhibition of insulin action.
15 cc. of human plasma caused complete inhibition of insulin action.
2 cc. of centrifuged unwashed blood cells caused mild inhibition.
5 cc. of centrifuged unwashed blood cells caused marked inhibition.
5 cc. of human plasma from diabetics caused almost complete inhibition.
2 cc. cells of case of myeloid leukemia caused complete inhibition.
2 cc. pus of case of empyema caused complete inhibition.
When more than one physiological unit of insulin was used, 10 cc. of plasma caused only slight—questionable inhibition. Controls of saline and insulin treated as was the plasma, etc., showed no inhibition. Likewise a few experiments with agar agar, egg albumen, and 5 cc. of horse serum (purified), treated as was the human plasma or cells, showed no inhibitory effect.
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