[Behavior of various blood constituents (glucose, fructose, insulin, lactate, pyruvate, free fatty acids, inorganic phosphate) and half-life of monosaccharides in the plasma after i.v. infusion of glucose, fructose, galactose and invert sugar solutions in ruminants. 1. Studies in calves and heifers].

Studies into the half-life of monosaccharides as well as into the effects of intravenous infusion of sugar solutions (0.5 g/kg body weight of glucose, fructose, galactose, and invert sugar) on the concentration of various blood components were undertaken with six calves and five heads of young cattle. Half-life values of glucose and galactose were of nearly identical magnitude over the first weeks of age, whereas that of fructose was much longer on account of slower conversion. Infusion of invert sugar solution, therefore, cannot be recommended for calves during the first three weeks of age. Infusion of the above monosaccharides led to more or less strongly pronounced rise of insulin levels in the blood serum. More or less strongly marked pyruvate increase took place following infusion, if the pyruvate concentration in the blood plasma had been low before infusion. Lactate levels in the blood usually underwent little change, whereas the levels of free fatty acids and inorganic phosphate in the blood plasma usually were reduced.