Prevention of alloxan-induced diabetes by ethanol administration.

Alloxan monohydrate administered intravenously to Swiss-Webster mice in doses of 50 or 100 mg/kg caused degranulation of the β cells of the pancreas and elevation of the blood glucose levels. Ethanol (4 g/kg) administered intraperitoneally 30 minutes prior to alloxan prevented these diabetogenic actions. Experiments with starved animals showed that the protection by ethanol was not due to an elevated level of blood glucose. Hydrogen peroxide was detected in the erythrocytes of mice after alloxan injection. It is suggested that the protective action of ethanol results from the accelerated removal of hydrogen peroxide and/or hydroxyl radicals in pancreatic tissue. There may be similarities in the mechanism of action of alloxan and the mechanism for destruction of catecholamine nerve terminals by 6-hydroxydopamine.