Alloxan inhibits glucose oxidation in the pancreatic islets.

The 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 (5-30 mg/dl) for 6 minutes inhibits significantly 14CO2 formation from 14C-U-D-glucose (10 mM) and the addition of alpha-anomer of D-glucose (8.3 mM) to alloxan (20 mg/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 beta-cells without affecting glucose metabolism in the pancreatic islets.