Alloxan inhibits glucose oxidation in the pancreatic islets.

Abstract

SynopsisThe effects of alloxan on glucose oxidation and the protection by anomers of D-glucose from alloxan inhibition of glucose oxidation in the pancreatic islets were investigated using in vitro incubation of rat isolated islets.The pretreatment by alloxan (5-30mg/dl) for6minutes inhibits significantly14CO2 formation from 14C-U-D-glucose (10mM) and the addition of a-anomer of D-glucose (8.3mM) to alloxan (20mg/dl) completely reverses alloxan inhibition of glucose oxidation.These findings seem to be incompatible with the recent view that alloxan acts at the glucose receptor on the plasma membrane of pancreatic without affecting glucose metabolism in the pancreatic islets.