ASSAY OF INSULIN-LIKE ACTIVITY IN THE PLASMA OF NORMAL AND DIABETIC HUMAN SUBJECTS

An assay of insulin using adrenalectomized diabetic mice has been applied to the study of the insulin-like activity of plasma extracts. It has been found that the insulin activity increases in normal subjects in response to the ingestion of carbohydrate, and that two groups of diabetics exist, those without and those with circulating insulin in plasma. The significance of these findings in the aetiology of diabetes mellitus is discussed. The limitations of the technique in the study of diabetes are emphasized. Assays of plasma insulin levels by several investigators [Bornstein, 1950; Bornstein &amp