Quantitative evaluation of the oxidation of an exogenous glucose load using naturally labeled 13C-glucose

Maize glucose was used as a natural tracer for studies of metabolism. It is richer in 13C than common vegetables and foods derived from these, and the C02 formed from it is consequently richer in 13C than the CO2 expired by man fed on a diet of common vegetables. The quantitative results, obtained by measurement of delta 13C of the expired CO2 and of VCO2 during the oxidation of an exogenous glucose load (about 100 g) in eight normal subjects over 7 hr, have shown a consumption of 28.64 +/- 1.44 g of glucose (mean +/- SEM), which represents about 30% of the load given. A comparison is made with the results obtained from other methods and the originality and usefulness of this new quantitative procedure is outlined.