Abstract
The investigations of Andersch and Gibson 1 as to the fate of intravenously injected acacia, showed that a large proportion of the acacia was deposited in the hepatic cells of the liver, rather than being excreted as had been previously assumed by many writers. In view of the extensive clinical use of acacia in shock, hemorrhage, nephrosis and other conditions, it seemed advisable to make a more extensive study of the effects of the deposited acacia upon various functions of the liver.
The importance of the liver in carbohydrate metabolism leads one to expect significant changes in tolerance to carbohydrates if that organ were damaged by the deposition of the gum. It is at least partially true that the extent to which a particular sugar is converted into liver and muscle glycogen probably determines the degree of hyperglycemia which results following its ingestion. 2 It was long thought that galactose was specifically metabolized by the liver. 2 However, the dog is able to metabolize considerable amounts of this sugar in the absence of the liver. 3
Glucose and galactose tolerances were done on 5 normal dogs after they had fasted 18 hours or more. After taking blood from the marginal vein of the ear for a sugar determination, 4 1 1/2% gm. of the sugar per kilo of body weight were given by stomach tube. Blood for sugar determinations was taken every half hour over a 2-hour period. After the dogs had been given a number of intravenous injections of acacia (a total of 4.4-10.7 gm. per kilo) at 3-day intervals, the glucose and galactose tests were repeated.
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