On Elimination through the Mucosa of the Urinary Bladder

In a previous communication (I) it was reported that after intravenous injections of large amounts of dextrose into normal rabbits the intestine contained on the average 1.2 per cent. of the injected dextrose, while through the kidneys about 4o per cent. of the injected dextrose was eliminated. In rabbits whose kidneys were removed previous to the injection of the dextrose, and in which, therefore, nearly one half of the injected quantity was prevented from being eliminated, the dextrose content of the intestine reached the average of 2.2 per cent. In discussing these results we arrived at the conclusion that the elimination of 1.2 per cent. of the dextrose in the intestines of normal rabbits can not be looked upon as an "intestinal diabetes" (MacCallum (2)) , nor is it due to an increased permeability of the intestinal epithelium (Fischer (3)) , nor can the increase of I per cent. in the dextrose in the intestine of nephrecto-mized rabbits be looked upon as a "vicarious action" (MacCallum). It was assumed that the elimination of 1.2 per cent. in the intestine of the normal, and 2.2 per cent. in the intestine of the nephrecto-mized rabbit after an intravenous injection of a large quantity of dextrose has no specific secretory character, comparable, for instance, with the elimination of dextrose through the kidney. It was suggested that the intestinal elimination is merely due to the temporary hyperglycemia; hnd, in consequence of the high sugar content of the blood and lymph, elimination occurs in minute quantities through all mucous membranes. In the intestine, on account of the large surface of its nmcosa, the sugar eliminated aggregates to the considerable figures of 1.2 and 2.2 per cent.