p-Hydroxymercuribenzoate-induced hyperglycemia: influence of pre- and post-treatment with L-leucine, tolbutamide, D-mannoheptulose, insulin and alloxan.

The aims were to see whether p-hydroxymercuribenzoate (PMB) administration affects the serum insulin concentration in mice in vivo, whether the transitory hyperglycemia induced in fed mice by treatment with PMB is affected by L-leucine, tolbutamide, D-mannoheptulose or insulin, and whether PMB affects the B-cell toxicity of alloxan. A significant decrease in the serum insulin concentration was found 1 and 2 h following PMB injection in fed and starved mice. PMB-induced hyperglycemia was abolished by pre-treatment with L-leucine and tolbutamide, but not by pre-treatment with D-mannoheptulose, or by post-treatment with insulin. Pre-treatment of fed mice with PMB caused potentiation of the initial hyperglycemia following alloxan, but inhibited the second hyperglycemic phase. These findings indicate that PMB treatment of mice has a transient inhibitory influence upon insulin secretion, and protects against the development of alloxan diabetes.