Pancreatic islet metabolism and redox state during stimulation of insulin secretion with glucose and fructose.

The mechanism of potentiation of insulin secretion by fructose was investigated. Twenty mM fructose + 3 mM glucose stimulated insulin secretion in a biphasic manner similar to what is found during stimulation with 20 mM glucose, whereas 20 mM fructose alone did not affect secretion. Fructose utilization was measured as formation of tritiated water from 5-3H-fructose. At 27.8 mM fructose the utilization rate was 258 pmol/2 h/10 islets, which is less than the utilization rate of 2.8 mM glucose. 20 mM glucose increased the islet NADH/NAD+ and NADPH/NADP+ redox ratios as well as islet concentration of ATP and PEP. 20 mM fructose + 3 mM glucose did not affect the concentration of ATP and PEP or the NADH/NAD+ redox ratio. The NADPH/NADP+ ratio was significantly decreased (60%) after 2.5 min incubation with .20 mM fructose + 3 mM glucose. It is concluded that fructose potentiation of insulin secretion is not primarily dependent on fructose metabolism and that any conceivable effect on plasma membrane ion fluxes as caused by a reduction of plasma membrane disulfides, may be caused by mechanisms other than a mere increase in the pyridine nucleotide substrates for the transhydrogenation process.