Effects of chronic administration of sodium 2 chloropropionate in normal and diabetic dogs

Pancreatic hormonal and metabolic responses to chronic administration of sodium 2 chloropropionate (2 CP) were investigated in conscious dogs. We subcutaneously administered 2 CP daily for 7 days at the dose of 0.58 mmol/kg (62.5 mg/kg) in normal dogs and those rendered diabetic by injection of alloxan (0.24 mmol/kg, i.v.). In the normal dogs, the chronic administration of 2 CP provoked a decrease in blood lactate and pyruvate but not in blood glucose concentrations. Urinary oxalate was not increased by the daily injection of 2 CP. Blood ketone body concentrations progressively increased after the third day of treatment. At the same time, plasma cholesterol slowly decreased. The 2 CP chronic administration did not change the plasma somatostatin, glucagon, and insulin levels. In the alloxan-diabetic dogs, treated with insulin alone, blood glucose, ketone body concentrations, and plasma somatostatin and glucagon levels were elevated. The adjunction of 2 CP with insulin injections resulted in a fall in blood lactate and pyruvate levels and a progressive decrease of blood glucose concentrations. Blood ketone bodies, which were already high at the start, were not affected when 2 CP was combined with insulin. The hypersomatostatinemia was not decreased, whereas the hyperglucagonemia was considerably reduced. So, I/G ratio, which was strongly decreased with insulin alone, progressively returned to normal values. As to urinary compounds, 2 CP induced a marked decrease in glucosuria and did not change the elevated urinary beta hydroxybutyrate levels. In conclusion, these findings show that the adjunction of sodium 2 chloropropionate to insulin in diabetic dogs results in a reduction of hyperglycemia and hyperglucagonemia.