Questions on Glucose Oxidation

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gowentgone - 07 Mar 2006 06:20 GMT

I have two questions related to glucose oxidation:

1. Is it true that a diabetic patient has a lower rate of glucose
oxidation (a cause of high blood glucose level) than a normal person?

2. Will the rate of glucose oxidation be greater after meal for both
diabetic patients and normal persons?

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Robert - 07 Mar 2006 07:14 GMT

> I have two questions related to glucose oxidation:
>
> 1. Is it true that a diabetic patient has a lower rate of glucose
> oxidation (a cause of high blood glucose level) than a normal person?

Glucose oxidation is also known as glycolysis or the breakdown of glucose.
Glucose does not diffuse into and out off cells freely. It is an osmotic
substance related to osmosis, the diffusion of water through a semipermeable
membrane.
Without insulin the glucose can not enter the cell and thus not be used
within the cell and used as an energy source via oxidation.
The glucose build up in the extracellular spaces and makes you thirsty, osmo
receptors, and makes you pee as the water is attracted to the glucose in
your urine via osmosis.
Diabetics have a normal glucose oxidation within the cell once it enters the
cell via insulin shots.

> 2. Will the rate of glucose oxidation be greater after meal for both
> diabetic patients and normal persons?

The oxidation biochemistry is the same, the only difference is the number of
insulin receptors on the outside of the cell T2 or the limiting amount of
insulin in the outside of cells T1.

The blood glucose level rises more in the diabetic because of the above as
the glucose can not enter the cell.

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gowentgone - 07 Mar 2006 08:05 GMT

So, for diabetic patients, decrease in rate of glucose oxidation is the
cause of increase in blood glucose level. But after meal, blood glucose
level rises and causes an increase in rate of glucose oxidation. I am
confused with the logic. Could you explain a bit about the relationship?

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Robert - 07 Mar 2006 08:32 GMT

> So, for diabetic patients, decrease in rate of glucose oxidation is the
> cause of increase in blood glucose level.

Because it can't get into the cell to be oxidized.

But after meal, blood glucose

> level rises and causes an increase in rate of glucose oxidation.

No. The cell is starving so the body is producing even more glucose apart
from what you are eating and it all stays outside the cell and thus it is
not getting oxidized.
The increase in blood sugar in a diabetic is a result of a decrease rate of
intake of intracellular glucose and the production of new glucose from body
stores in addition to fatty breakdown.

I am

> confused with the logic. Could you explain a bit about the relationship?

The amount of glucose oxidation within the cell is directly proportional to
the amount of insulin and insulin receptors outside of the cell. If insulin
is high then glucose moves inside the cell and can be oxidized. If insulin
is low then it stays outside the cell and glucose oxidization is unavailable
to the cell.

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