ETHANOL INDUCED HYPOGLYCEMIA IN OXYTHIAMINE TREATED ANIMALS

¹ Department of Pharmacology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana

Administration of oxythiamine or ethanol (1 g/kg) individually did not produce hypoglycemia; however, when both were given, hypoglycemia invariably followed. The concomitant administration of thiamine completely antagonized the hypoglycemic response. These findings confirm data reported by Hulpieu et al. (1954).

The cat was the only other species found to be sensitive to the oxythiamine-ethanol hypoglycemia. The rabbit, guinea pig, pigeon, rat and mouse resisted larger doses of both oxythiamine and ethanol than were effective in the dog and cat.

Ethanol administration reduced liver glycogen in both the dog and the cat. Oxythiamine reduced liver glycogen in the cat but depleted it in the dog. Thiamine prevented the loss of liver glycogen in the oxythiamine treated animals.

Ethanol, with or without oxythiamine pretreatment, increased the fatty acids in the liver in the 6-hour experimental periods. Fructose prevented the ethanol-induced increase in liver fatty acids unless oxythiamine had been given. Fructose given the oxythiamine treated animals increased the liver fatty acids. However, fructose administration did not prevent loss of liver glycogen or the development of hypoglycemia in the oxythiamine treated dogs.

It is suggested that the oxythiamine-ethanol hypoglycemia is the result of a loss of the reserve glucose stores of liver glycogen by the oxythiamine-induced thiamine deficiency and the inhibition of gluconeogenesis by ethanol.