Serum mineral changes due to exogenous ATP and certain trace elements in experimental diabetes.

The intravenous injection of zinc or manganese chloride immediately before and 15 minutes after alloxan or dithizone prevented the usual hyperglycemia observed 24 hours after induction of diabetes. Injection of zinc chloride in alloxan diabetes led to normalization of sodium while zinc, copper, iron and magnesium remained high and calcium and potassium remained low as in alloxan. In case of dithizone diabetes, the administration of zinc salt led to an increase in serum zinc, magnesium and potassium and to a decrease in serum calcium while the sodium level returned to normal. Manganese plus alloxan led to a normalization of serum zinc, copper, potassium and sodium. In the case of dithizone plus manganese only magnesium was raised while the other elements were unchanged when compared to animals injected with dithizone only. Chromium and cobalt lowered the blood glucose to a certain extent however it did not affect most of the elements. The same changes occurred in all elements as with alloxan or dithizone alone. Pretreatment with ATP led to a normalization of serum zinc, copper, magnesium, sodium and potassium, while in case of iron it remained high and calcium remained low as that found in alloxan diabetic rats.