Phloridzin Diabetes and Vital Staining.

Abstract

Since the introduction in experimental pathology of vital staining of animals this method has been widely employed for the study of the physiology of the macrophage (Reticulo-Endothelial) system. In a number of instances this method has been used in conjunction with bacterial infections in the experiments with the so-called blockade of the reticulo-endothelial apparatus. The investigation to be reported concerns itself with experiments on vital staining of animals treated with phloridzin. This substance leads to an outstanding glycosuria which, according to older observers is renal in origin. Present investigations have shown that beside the kidneys chronic phloridzin intoxication also leads to marked pathologic changes in other visceral and hematopoetic organs. From a chemical standpoint, although the intimate mechanism of the glycosuria is not clear the loss of the function of carbohydrate oxidation is considered as being almost complete; and for practical purposes the disease is regarded as being close to diabetes mellitus (Nash). It is obvious that the faulty metabolism of the carbohydrates carries with it an impairment in the combustion of fats and proteins. Chronic phloridzin intoxication is therefore from histopathologic as well as from chemical standpoints a condition in which the entire metabolic apparatus is involved. The purpose of this investigation was then to study the response of animals with this disease to vital staining. Full grown rabbits were used in the experiments which were divided into 2 groups: 1, animals were primarily stained for a certain period of time and then were in addition “phloridzinized”; 2, animals were at first “phloridzinized” and this was later accompanied by vital staining. One per cent trypan blue diluted in physiologic sodium chloride was daily injected in the marginal ear of the rabbit's vein in the amount of 3 cc. per kilo body weight.