Effects of xylitol on carbohydrate metabolism in rat liver treated with carbon tetrachloride or alloxan.

Xylitol is a polyalcohol which is a regular intermediary product of the carbohydrate metabolism.1 Although there have been many reports on the effects of xylitol on the carbohydrate metabolism in animals and human beings,2,3 there have been few published data on the metabolic changes induced by the adminis tration of xylitol in acute and subacute liver injury. Accordingly, studies were undertaken to investigate the effects of xylitol on the carbohydrate metabolism in the livers of rats treated with carbon tetrachloride (CC14) or alloxan. The findings presented here have suggested that xylitol is a good source of energy of the rats treated with CC14 or alloxan.