[Ability of the tissues to assimilate glucose and the pyruvate and lactate levels after intravenous glucose load in patients with peripheral facial paralysis].

In 60 control subjects and 48 patients with peripheral facial nerve palsy carbohydrate metabolism was tested performing a rapid intravenous glucose tolerance test with 0.5 g glucose per 1 kg of actual body weight and with determination of concentrations of glucose, pyruvate and lactate at rest in fasting state and after intravenous glucose load. Glucose was determined in capillary blood by the orthotoluidine method, pyruvate and lactate in venous blood by the enzymatic method. In the group of patients with facial nerve palsy a significantly lower number of subjects had a normal ability of glucose assimilation by tissues and a significantly higher frequency of pathological results of glucose tolerance test with a high prevalence of fasting hyperglycaemia. In patients with abnormal glucose tolerance test the fasting pyruvate concentration was high. After an intravenous glucose load the concentration of pyruvate in the 120th minute of the test was significantly increased (p less than 0.05) in patients with facial nerve palsy independently of the degree of glucose tolerance impairment. In patients with pathological result of the glucose tolerance test disturbances were observed also in lactate concentration. The production of lactate was decreased in the initial phase and then it was increased in the time up to 120 minutes. No direct correlation was observed between the disturbances of pyruvate concentration and the preserved ability of glucose assimilation by the peripheral tissues.