Accumulation of deuterium oxide in body fluids after ingestion of D2O-labeled beverages.

A simple low-cost procedure was developed to compare the temporal profiles of deuterium oxide (D2O) accumulation in body fluids after ingestion of D2O-labeled solutions. D2O concentration was measured in plasma and saliva samples taken at various intervals after ingestion of 20 ml of D2O mixed with five solutions differing in carbohydrate and electrolyte concentrations. An infrared spectrometer was used to measure D2O in purified samples obtained after a 48-h incubation period during which the water (D2O and H2O) in the sample was equilibrated with an equal volume of distilled water in a sealed diffusion dish. The procedure yields 100% recoveries of 60-500 ppm D2O with an average precision of 5%. When compared with values for distilled water, D2O accumulation in serial samples of plasma and saliva was slower for ingested solutions containing 40 and 15% glucose and faster for hypotonic saline and a 6% carbohydrate-electrolyte solution. These differences appear to reflect known differences in gastric emptying and intestinal absorption of these beverages. Therefore this technique may provide a useful index of the rate of water uptake from ingested beverages into the body fluids.