Uptake of radioactive D-glucose anomers by pancreatic islets

Isolated rat islets were incubated in media containing either the alpha or beta anomer of D-[1-3H]glucose for 5 min at 37 degrees. The amounts of the two anomers incorporated were determined using L-[1-14C]glucose as an extracellular space marker. The incorporation of beta-D-glucose was about twice that of alpha-D-glucose. Our previous and present results suggest that the two anomers of D-glucose each have a preferential function in pancreatic beta cells; alpha-D-glucose stimulates insulin secretion, and beta-D-glucose is transported into the cells.