We correlated the changes in glucose-induced insulin secretion with those observed in glucose metabolism and hexokinase/glucokinase activity in islets from normal sucrose-fed hamsters. Blood glucose and insulin levels were measured in normal male hamsters fed with (S5) or without (C5) 10% sucrose in the drinking water for 5 weeks. Isolated islets (collagenase digestion) from both groups of animals were used to study insulin secretion, (14)CO(2) and (3)H(2)O production from D-[U-(14)C]-glucose and D-[5-(3)H]-glucose respectively, with 3.3 or 16.7 mM glucose in the medium, and hexokinase/glucokinase activity (fluorometric assay) in islet homogenates. Whereas S5 and C5 animals had comparable normal blood glucose levels, S5 showed higher insulin levels than C5 hamsters (2.3+/-0.1 vs 0.6+/-0.03 ng/ml, P<0.001). Islets from S5 hamsters released significantly more insulin than C5 islets in the presence of low and high glucose (3.3 mM glucose: 0.77+/-0.04 vs 0.20+/-0.06 pg/ng DNA/min, P<0.001; 16.7 mM glucose: 2.77+/-0.12 vs 0.85+/-0.06 pg/ng DNA/min, P<0.001) and produced significantly higher amounts of (14)CO(2) and (3)H(2)O at both glucose concentrations ((14)CO(2): 3.3 mM glucose: 0.27+/-0.01 vs 0.18+/-0.01, P<0.001; 16.7 mM glucose: 1.44+/-0.15 vs 0.96+/-0.08, P<0.02; (3)H(2)O: 3.3 mM glucose: 0.31+/-0.02 vs 0.15+/-0.01, P<0.001; 16.7 mM glucose: 1.46+/-0.20 vs 0.76+/-0.05 pmol glucose/ng DNA/min, P<0.005). The hexokinase K(m) and V(max) values from S5 animals were significantly higher than those from C5 ones (K(m): 100.14+/-7.01 vs 59.90+/- 3.95 microM, P<0.001; V(max): 0.010+/-0.0005 vs 0.008+/- 0.0006 pmol glucose/ng DNA/min, P<0.02). Conversely, the glucokinase K(m) value from S5 animals was significantly lower than in C5 animals (K(m): 15.31+/-2.64 vs 35.01+/-1.65 mM, P<0.001), whereas V(max) figures were within a comparable range in both groups (V(max): 0.048+/-0.009 vs 0.094+/-0.035 pmol glucose/ng DNA/min, not significant). The glucose phosphorylation ratio measured at 1 and 100 mM (hexokinase/glucokinase ratio) was significantly higher in S5 (0.26+/-0.02) than in C5 animals (0.11+/-0.01, P<0.005), and it was attributable to an increase in the hexokinase activity in S5 animals. In conclusion, sucrose administration increased the hexokinase/glucokinase activity ratio in the islets, which would condition the increase in glucose metabolism by beta-cells, and in beta-cell sensitivity and responsiveness to glucose. These results support the concept that increased hexokinase rather than glucokinase activity causes the beta-cell hypersensitivity to glucose, hexokinase being metabolically more active than glucokinase to up-regulate beta-cell function.