[Behavior of intracellular electrolytes in the diabetic metabolic state]

By animal experiments and examinations of test persons with healthy metabolism could be confirmed that a high intracellular content of sodium coincides with a low glucose assimilation coefficient. Moreover, the intracellular sodium concentration seems to have influence also on the peripheral insulin content after glucose load as it was shown by the negative correlation of the quotient Na(Plasma)/Na(Ery) with the insulin concentration surface in the rabbits. In maturity-onset diabetics with and without hypertension compared with a control group the intracellular sodium concentration was increased. This intracellular shift of electrolytes might have an influence of the utilisation of glucose in maturity-onset diabetes.