Stimulation of Insulin Output by Monosaccharides and Monosaccharide Derivatives

Abstract

The ability of various sugars and closely related substances to stimulate insulin secretion was studied by means of pancreatic-femoral cross-circulation experiments between hepatectomized donor dogs and normal recipients. In other experiments, the test substance was injected directly into the pancreatic artery of normal dogs. The administration of d-glucose, d-galactose or d-ribose was followed by a prompt hypoglycemia, suggesting insulin secretion; d-arabinose caused an unexplained delayed hypoglycemia, while d-fructose, d-mannose, d-xylose, l-arabinose, 3-methylglucose, d-glucosamine, galacturonic acid and saline had no effect. The tentative hypothesis that insulin secretion is stimulated by sugars which are both utilizable and insulin-sensitive is offered. No relationship between chemical structure and ability to cause insulin release was found.