Blood Pyruvate and Alpha-ketoglutarate in Diabetes

preted to mean that tolbutamide differs from insulin by neither affecting the transport of sugars across cell membranes, nor stimulating the secretion of insulin. In human metabolism, these pentoses are negligible from a caloric standpoint. These sugars, however, do play a significant role in intermediary metabolism. Experiments with pentoses in other animal species may be duplicated in man in some but not all cases. Some experiments have indicated effects not observed in other animal species. Still others indicate that pentoses are metabolized in man by as yet unknown pathways. Much biochemical ground has been traversed since the pentoses were regarded as mere structural components of plant and animal tissues. At the present time the true position of pentoses in intermediary metabolism may still be underestimated.