ABSTRACT
The identification of the endocrine pancreas, or more specifically the insulin-producing pancreatic B-cell, as a target organ for toxicity is of obvious relevance to the understanding of certain types of diabetes mellitus in human subjects or experimental animals. A number of observations are compatible with the participation of toxic agents in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus. Alloxan has been used for four decades to induce diabetes mellitus in experimental animals. The diabetogenic action of alloxan results from a selective toxic effect on the insulin-producing pancreatic B-cell. It is essential to note that alloxan also rapidly accumulates in hepatocytes, suggesting that its cellular uptake is not sufficient to fully account for its specific toxicity toward islet cells. Alloxan rapidly accumulates in the B-cell. Such a rapid uptake is apparently required for expression of the cytotoxic action of alloxan. However, the rapid uptake of the drug is not sufficient to fully account for the selective toxicity of alloxan to the B-cell.
