The effect of scald injury upon the distribution of glucose between red cells and plasma and upon the turnover of glucose in red cells in the rat.

The acute effects of burn injury on the transport and turnover of glucose in red cells have been studied in the rat 1·5-5 hours after injury. Post-absorptive rats received a dorsal full thickness burn to 20% of the body surface, which reduced the red cell volume from 2·46 to 2·12 ml/100 g body weight and the plasma volume from 3·72 to 2·49 ml/100 g (without affecting F) and increased the plasma glucose concentration (C) from 1·6 to 2·9 mg/ml. In controls the glucose concentration in red cells (C) was 0·48 mg/ml, independent of the value of C. The C/C ratio was about 0·3, there was a big concentration gradient across the cell membrane. After injury C rose, but from 1·5 to 5 hours after injury only at less than 1 μg/(ml red cells)/min. The C/C ratio was close to 0·3, as in controls. The slowness of the changes in C and the maintenance of a high glucose concentration gradient across the red cell membrane indicated that the transport of glucose was normal in most of the 86% of the cells remaining in the circulation. Injury increased the rate of turnover of glucose, estimated from experiments with [U-C] glucose, from 32 to 42 μg/(ml red cells)/min. This moderate increase was thought to be in the rate of glycolysis and to be a normal consequence of the increase in C after injury. It was concluded that most of the red cells remaining in the circulation after a burn injury in the rat transported and metabolized glucose normally for up to 5 hours.