Effect of alloxan on permeability and hexose transport in rat pancreatic islets

The in vitro effect of alloxan exposure on the permeability of collagenase isolated rat pancreatic islets to sucrose, D-mannitol, and L-glucose has been investigated. Determination of changes in cell volume with a non-wash double label isotope procedure indicates that alloxan treatment exerts no measurable effect on permeability to sucrose, D-mannitol, or L-glucose as compared to nonalloxan-treated islets. In addition, neither prior exposure nor the concomitant presence of alloxan alters the rate of D-glucose or 3-0-methyl-D-glucose transport into rat pancreatic islets. It is concluded that the in vitro effect of alloxan on abolishing glucose-induced insulin release in isolated rat pancreatic islets does not appear to be the result of permeability changes to small organic molecules or alteration in the transport of D-glucose into the beta-cell.