Abstract
Bloor et at 1 found that the esterified cholesterol in plasma of diabetic patients was slightly higher than normal. It seemed of interest, therefore, to record some preliminary observations on the postabsorptive blood cholesterol of completely depancreatized dogs that have been maintained in this laboratory for varying periods of time by means of insulin and a suitable diet.
The oxidative procedures of Okey 2 have been used for cholesterol determinations. The treatment of these animals has been reported elsewhere. 3 Blood cholesterol determinations on 3 normal dogs are also recorded. Dog 4, normal, is a litter mate of dog 1, diabetic; both of these animals have been maintained on the same diet since September 1, 1931, when dog 1 was depancreatized. Dog 5, normal, and dog 2, diabetic, are also litter mates, both of these animals having received the same diets since July 27, 1932, the day on which the latter was depancreatized. The third dog, 1-N-1, was kept on the diet for approximately one month before blood samples were taken.
Typical results are shown in Table I. There is a marked reduction of the ester cholesterol of the fasting blood of depancreatized dogs. Esterified cholesterol was completely absent from the blood of diabetic dog 2. Further investigations to determine the time of onset of these lipid changes following pancreatectomy are in progress.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.