Insulin secretion by anomers of d-glucose

Isolated rat islets were incubated for 5 minutes in the media containing either the alpha or beta anomer of D-glucose (2 milligrams per milliliter). The amounts of secreted insulin and changes of anomers ratio were concomitantly determined. In spite of rapid mutarotation, significantly greater stimulation of insulin secretion was observed by alpha-D-glucose as compared with beta-D-glucose.