Interpretation of Abnormal Dextrose Tolerance Curves Occurring in Toxemia in Terms of Liver Function

The Excretion of Hippuric Acid in Subjects With Free Anxiety

“…The former offered no explanation for this phenomenon while the latter noted that the hyperexcretion occurred in patients with a mild degree of hepatic damage. On the basis of other observations that the first effect of a noxious agent upon the liver is to increase its irritability (10), Rosenberg and Soskin suggested that the hyperexcretion of hippuric acid may be due to an increase in the conjugating function of the liver during the early stages of hepatic damage. Accordingly, our observations that patients with "free anxiety" show an hyperexcretion of hippuric acid and that with a diminution of the "free anxiety" there may be a concurrent restitution to the normal level of hippuric acid excretion, suggest the possibility that such patients may have an increase in the functional capacity of the liver insofar as the conversion of sodium benzoate is concerned.…”

Role of the Endocrines in the Regulation of Blood Sugar1

“…is that where the liver is damaged by toxic agents. It is well known that the "diabetic" type of dextrose tolerance curve is obtained in this condition (15,16).…”

“…There have been a number of investigators who have reported that the oral dextrose tolerance curve is abnormal in liver disease, but no characteristics which would distinguish such a curve 84 SAMUEL SOSKIN Volume 4 from that obtained in diabetes mellitus have ever been described (15,16). Using a standardized intravenous procedure for the test, my colleagues and I have recently been able to obtain curves from normal individuals, patients with known liver disease and patients with mild diabetes mellitus, respectively, which are characteristic for each condition and which can be differentiated from each other.…”