Glucose and lactate kinetics in septic rats.

Glucose turnover was measured in rats subjected to experimental peritonitis. Fifteen hours following cecal ligation and puncture or sham surgery, rats were anesthetized with pentobarbital and glucose metabolism was estimated by constant infusion tracer techniques. Septic rats demonstrated significantly elevated rates of glucose appearance without any elevation of plasma glucose concentration. There was also significant hyperlactacidemia in the cecally ligated rats. The elevated plasma lactate was not accompanied by a lowering of blood pH. Arterial blood pressure were not different between groups, however the blood pressure of septic rats did fall during the infusion experiment. Septic rats demonstrated significantly elevated initial heart rates and blood hematocrit. The turnover of lactate was also elevated in the septic rats. By calculation of the relative percentage of glucose production from labeled lactate, it is obvious that septic rats had elevated rates of gluconeogenesis. Determination of plasma immunoreactive insulin indicated that septic rats were not insulin resistant.