[Relation between the changes in glycolipid levels and substrate oxidation in skeletal muscle in alloxan diabetes in rats].

Administration of alloxan to rats in a dose of 50-150 mg/kg raises blood sugar level from 200 +/- 14 to 800 +/- +/- 16 mg/100 ml. Under these conditions, the content of total gangliosides in the rat femoral muscle progressively decreases, namely from 137 +/- 9 micrograms sialic acid per g tissue to 63 +/- 4, which is linked with alloxan diabetes severity and hyperglycemia. At the same time there was a 3-4-fold inhibition of 14C-glucose oxidation intensity by tissue sections of the skeletal muscles in the presence of a 1.5-2-fold activation of 1-14C-palmitate. Fractionation of glycolipids on silica gel KSK demonstrated a 33% decrease in the content of monosialogangliosides, and a lesser diminution in the content of other fractions. Total muscle gangliosides, added to the incubation medium exogenously, produced a pathogenetic correcting action on disturbed oxidation of 14C-glucose in alloxan diabetes.