Acetone concentration in gas emanating from tails of diabetic rats.

This study investigated the effects of diabetic rats induced by streptozotocin (STZ) on acetone concentration emanating from the tail of a rat. Experiments were carried out with male Wistar rats (9 weeks of age, 220 - 250 g body weight). Glucose concentration in the blood was 10.8 ± 0.7 mmol/l for the control group and 39.6 ± 2.4 mmol/l for the diabetic group. β-Hydroxybutyrate concentration in blood was 218 ± 52 µmol/l for the control group and 1439 ± 101 µmol/l for the diabetic group. Both glucose and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations in the blood of the diabetic group were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < 0.001). Skin gas acetone concentration emanated from rat tail was 124 ± 46 ppb for control and 1134 ± 417 ppb for diabetic. Skin gas acetone concentration emitted from the tail of a rat with diabetes was significantly higher than that from a rat in the control group (p < 0.001). The result indicates that skin acetone emanating from a rat tail is a useful parameter to use for insulin-dependent diabetes (type I).