Pyruvate content of blood and phosphorylation of thiamine in diabetic coma.

According to MARKEES AND MEYER 1 an increased content of pyruvate is found in the blood of patients in diabetic coma. I t decreased by intravenously injecting thiamine pyrophosphate, but not, however, by injecting thiamine. The authors concluded that in this condition phosphorylation is inhibited. We have found, however, that in these investigations the pyruvate determinations, which were performed according to the method of FRIEDEMANN AND HAUGEN z, have been carried out in such a way that pyrnvate was determined together with acetyl acetate. Overnight storage of the deproteinized blood in the refrigerator, as prescribed by FRIEDEMANN AND HAUGEN and as had been done by MARKEES AND MEYER, did not appear to be efficacious for removing the acetyl