Alloxan given parenterally produces in the rat a state of diabetic coma which is analogous to the severe coma of human diabetes. Such animals, moreover, show a rise in plasma inorganic phosphate and blood sugar. They also show in the liver a decrease in glycogen and in the total acid-soluble phosphates. An increase in liver inorganic phosphate occurs with a concurrent fall in adenosine pyrophosphate and other organo-phosphates. Hence the rise in plasma inorganic phosphate during coma is at least partially due to a loss of liver phosphate. It is probable that this rise in plasma inorganic phosphate results from a breakdown of organo-phosphates which result from the depressed oxidations associated with insulin lack. Insulin, when administered in exceptionally large doses, tends to cause improvement in both the clinical and chemical state of comatose rats.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.