Hypoglycemia in Protracted Anaphylactic and Tuberculin Shock.

Abstract

When guinea pigs die in protracted anaphylactic shock, 1 death is usually preceded by a comatose condition with intermittent forced breathing and occasional convulsions. Sometimes this condition, in which the animals are insensitive to pain, lasts for several hours. These cases are suggestive that the comatose condition is produced by factors which are not present in the milder forms of the anaphylactic intoxication or in those cases where death occurs earlier after injection. The examination of the sugar content of the blood seemed indicated as the liver plays an important rôle in the production of protracted anaphylactic shock, also it is known that anaphylactic shock has a pronounced influence on the sugar content of the blood. 2 In addition in different bacterial intoxications hypoglycemia was observed. 3

The data given in the table are typical. Death, both in protracted anaphylactic shock and in tuberculin shock might occur with high, normal, or very low sugar values in the blood. In anaphylactic shock during the first 2-3 hours after the injection (also when the guinea pig dies in acute shock, or survives) the sugar content of the blood is increased. Later in the severe or fatal shock we find very low sugar values. This regularity was not as pronounced in tuberculin shock, probably because the stage and extent of the disease influences the reaction of the animal.

It is probable that the excessive hypoglycemia plays a rôle in the death of the animal. The occurrence of death both with high and with very low sugar values indicates that death is caused by different combinations of factors, both in protracted anaphylactic shock and in tuberculin shock.

The sugar determinations were made with the new method of Folin and Wu, 4 and in a number of cases we made parallel determinations, using the method of Hagedorn and Jensen. 5 The blood was taken from the heart before the death of the animal.