Assay of the Glucose Consumption Rate in Liver with a Novel Colorimetric Method

This study reports a simple and easy colorimetric method for measuring glucose consumption in tissues. Some technical parameters obtained from previous single factor tests and orthogonal designs were validated by single factor test in this study, and the kinetics of glucose consumption reaction was analyzed. Our results show that the kinetics of glucose consumption fits Michaelis-Menten equation with μmax and Km at 0.0942 g/Lh and 14.83 g/L respectively. Further comparative analysis of glucose consumption in diabetic and normal mice using the reported colorimetric method demonstrates that the rate of glucose consumption in liver, muscle, kidney, and brain from diabetic mice is significantly lower than those from normal control, respectively. The analysis of enzymatic activity and intermediate metabolite in the liver's reaction solution indicates the existence of significant differences between normal and diabetic mice. The significance of the method is more close to the glucose metabolism in vivo and without the need for expensive equipment and specialized technical expertise. With analyses of some enzymes' activities and intermediates involved in glucose metabolism, the present method can be applied in the diagnosis of diabetic patients.