Acetoacetate-Induced Changes in Blood Lactic and Blood Ascorbic Acids;Prevention by Insulin and Amellin

Summary

1. The daily injection of 50 mg/kg of sodium acetoacetate into normal rabbits in increasing doses markedly increased the blood lactate level to an average of 36.7 mg/100 cc (control = 7.9 mg/100 cc) after 90 days. 2. In a second group of animals receiving about half the dosage, the plasma ascorbic acid decreased from 2.50 to 0.83 mg/100 cc after 60 days. 3. Simultaneous injection of amellin prevented the accumulation of blood lactate. In animals which had received sodium acetoacetate for 90 days, amellin restored the blood lactate level to normal within 40 days, in spite of the continued injection of increasing amounts of the acetoacetate. 4. In an experiment otherwise identical, insulin was not as effective as amellin; when it was injected, the blood lactate diminished initially but later increased. 5. The amellin treated animals were healthier than the insulin treated ones.