Serum immunoreactive insulin response during prolonged glucose infusions in nondiabetic and diabetic humans

Prolonged intravenous glucose infusions were employed to study pancreatic islet cell reserve, measured by responses in serum immunoreactive insulin levels. A continuous intravenous glucose load (6 gm./kg./24 hrs.) was administered for five to seven days to four nondiabetic subjects and five maturity-onset diabetic patients. The nondiabetics assimilated all the glucose, but the diabetics developed marked hyperglycemia and glucosuria. Immunoreactive insulin levels were similar in the two groups, and insulin response to eating breakfast daily during the infusions was at least as high in the diabetics as in the nondiabetics. During these infusions, there was no evidence that the diabetic patients differed from the nondiabetic controls by showing progressive decreases in serum immunoreactive insulin responses.

CANCER AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH

This article by Doctor Wood is especially interesting to health workers and indeed to all readers of the Journal on account of the fact that it treats in a concise manner some of the fundamental points of importance known at the present time regarding this devastating disease. It is particularly suggestive as it indicates various ways in which state and local health authorities can direct their activities so that the people may be informed of the fact that early cancer is curable in most instances.