[Effect of a sugar diet on the exhalation of 14CO2 by rats after the administration of citric acid-3-14C].

In rats of three age groups (one month-old rattlings, young 3-month old and adult rats not younger than 5 months) receiving the usual vivarium food the exhalation of C14O2 substantially decreased with the age and the maximum radioactivity of the air following intraperitoneal introduction of citric acid-3-C14 was greatly delayed. Upon putting for 2 months on a cariogenic diet with 54 per cent of saccharose of one month old and 3-month old animals there was noted a significantly accelerated appearance in the expired air of C14O2 and a quicker reaching the maximum radioactivity of the expired air than in controls. It seems that in an accelerated exhalation of C14O2 a definite role is played by the transormation of citric acid in the muscles and blood with the animals kept on a saccharose diet.