Abstract
To test further the hypothesis that ribonucleosides stimulate insulin secretion and biosynthesis by producing metabolic signals, the effects of starvation on adenosine-stimulated insulin production and the oxidation of adenosine by isolated mouse pancreatic islets were examined. No direct correlation was found between the metabolic flux and insulin secretion, since the starvation-induced impairment of the adenosine-stimulated insulin secretion was accompanied by an increased rate of adenosine oxidation. Adenosine-stimulated insulin biosynthesis was, however, unaffected by starvation.