Inhibition of glucose utilization following thermal injury: uptake studies by diaphragm in plasma from burned rats

Effect of thermal injury on tissue metabolism was studied by comparing the glucose metabolism of normal rat diaphragm tissue incubated in plasma from injured (plasma taken 15 min. after injury) and uninjured rats. Glucose concentrations in the plasma from the burned and control rats were made comparable to compensate for the hyperglycemia due to injury. An inhibition of glucose uptake by the diaphragm tissue incubated in plasma from burned rats was demonstrated, whereas the QO2 and the conversion of glucose-U-C14 to C14O2 were not significantly changed. This inhibition of glucose uptake was observed when dialyzed plasma from burned animals or the dialysate was used. Epinephrine under certain circumstances inhibited glucose uptake. These studies indicate that immediately after thermal injury, a disturbance in glucose utilization occurs; this disturbance appears to be other than in the conversion of glucose to CO2; a dialyzable principle is present in the plasma; and epinephrine is not excluded as a causative agent.