Susceptibility of the Guinea Pig to Action of Alloxan as Compared with the Rat.

Summary The parentera1 administration of various dosages of alloxan, up to those which were fatal, failed to produce diabetes in guinea pigs. Neither glycosuria nor hyper- glycemia was observed., Animals deficient in ascorbic acid, partially pancreatectomised or starved prior to alloxan administration, also failed to develop diabetes, although starvation apparently increased the toxicity of alloxan. The guinea pig is. much more resistant to the diabetogenic and the toxic action of alloxan than is the rat, and the pancreatic islet cells appear no more susceptible to alloxan than the cells of several other tissues.