The feasibility of calibrating a glucose sensor by using a wearable glucose meter for blood glucose determination and moderate variations of blood glucose concentration was assessed. Six miniaturized glucose sensors were implanted in the subcutaneous tissue of conscious dogs, and the parameters used for the in vivo calibration of the sensor (sensitivity coefficient and extrapolated current in the absence of glucose) were determined from values of blood glucose and sensor response obtained during glucose infusion. (1) Venous plasma glucose level and venous total blood glucose level were measured simultaneously on the same sample, using a Beckman analyser and a Glucometer II, respectively. The regression between plasma glucose (x) and whole blood glucose (y) was y = 1.12x-0.08 mM (n = 114 values, r = 0.96, p = 0.0001). The error grid analysis indicated that the use of a Glucometer II for blood glucose determination was appropriate in dogs. (2) The in vivo sensitivity coefficients were 0.57 +/- 0.11 nA mM-1 when determined from plasma glucose, and 0.51 +/- 0.07 nA mM-1 when determined from whole blood glucose (t = 1.53, p = 0.18, n.s.). The background currents were 0.88 +/- 0.57 nA when determined from plasma glucose, and 0.63 +/- 0.77 nA when determined from whole blood glucose (t = 0.82, p = 0.45, n.s.). (3) The regression equation of the estimation of the subcutaneous glucose level obtained from the two methods was y = 1.04x + 0.56 mM (n = 171 values, r = 0.98, p = 0.0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)