Altered glucose metabolism in intact and tumor bearing rats subjected to local hyperthermia.

Blood glucose levels were temporarily elevated in normal and in tumor bearing Lewis rats subjected to one local hyperthermic treatment in the leg or in the upper abdomen. Serum transferred from locally heated animals or serum heated in-vitro and injected to normal recipients resulted in elevated blood glucose levels. These findings indicate that local hyperthermia affects the treated host systematically, and that following local hyperthermia, the elevation in blood glucose levels is serum mediated.