Cutaneous reactions to local traumatization with heat in alloxan diabetic rabbits with and without ketosis.

Short-term alloxan diabetic rabbits with and without ketosis were traumatized with local cutaneous application of heat. The degree of traumatization varied with regard to the temperature and duration used. The lowest degree of traumatization which caused intravenously injected Evans blue to be observed within the area of traumatization was determined. There was no difference between diabetic animals without ketosis and controls. A more pronounced traumatization of animals with ketosis was necessary if Evans blue was to be observed, but there was then a significant difference between these and controls. The traumatized skin areas were also studied histologically. The inflammatory reaction induced was judged as being weaker in animals with ketosis.