Renal glucosyltransferase activity in highly-inbred spontaneously diabetic Chinese hamsters

A modified glucosyltransferase assay using degraded gelatin as acceptors was found to be enzyme concentration- and time-dependent in the Chinese hamster kidney extracts. In 54 Chinese hamsters selected from 7 highly inbred sublines with or without spontaneous glycosuria, the glucosyltransferase activity (0.78-3.25 unit/g) in the kidney was found to be significantly correlated (P = 0.0002) to blood sugar concentrations (60-475 mg/dl). However, subline-dependent variation in glycosyltransferase activity was also evident and, in animals from 2 of the 5 diabetic sublines, similar activity of glucosyltransferase was found in their kidneys as in those of nondiabetic animals. It was concluded that renal glucosyltransferase activity was affected by blood sugar level as well as by genetically determined factor(s).