Increased Intrahematic Glycolysis in Vitro: A New Abnormality in Prediabetes and Chemical Diabetes

Glucose uptake by human blood cells was measured under appropriate conditions in blood samples during a standard oral glucose tolerance test in three groups: control, prediabetics (offspring of conjugal diabetics) and diabetic subjects. Glucose uptake was expressed as micromoles of glucose disappearance per gram of hemoglobin per hour of incubation. The significance of results, compared to fasting values, was studied for each group. Controls had lower values at every postchallenge point, but a significant difference occurred only at 120 mins. (p<0.05). On the contrary, all postchallenge values in both experimental groups were higher than corresponding fasting levels. In prediabetics these differences were significant at 60 and 120 mins. (p<0.025) and at 180 mins. (p<0.01). In chemical diabetes these differences were significant at 30 mins. (p<0.05) and at 60, 120 and 180 mins. (p<0.005). The increments produced in prediabetes and chemical diabetes were also compared to the decrements produced in controls. Highly significant differences were found: for prediabetes, p<0.005 at60 and 120 mins., and p<0.025 at 180 mins.; for chemical diabetes, p<0.05 at 30 mins. and p<0.005 at 60, 120 and 180 mins.