The effects of various hexoses upon immunoreactive insulin (IRI) secretion, glucose disposal, and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) release have been compared in 10 normal nonobese men. Rapid iv infusion (0.5 g/kg in 3 min) of D-mannose resulted in significant ITI release, the peak levels approaching those after D-glucose infusion. D-Galactose, however, was ineffective. The 60-min urine excretions of mannose, galactose, and glucose were 35 +/- 7%, 16 +/- 4%, and 5.5 +/- 0.7% (mean +/- SEM) of the administered dose, respectively. All subjects also received 50 g oral glucose, mannose, galactose, and fructose on different days, each followed by an iv glucose infusion 30 min later. The ingestion of glucose or galactose resulted in a similar increment of GIP (P less than 0.01), followed by a similar increment in the IRI response to iv glucose. Furthermore, the glucose disposal rate increased 2.5-fold compared to that after iv glucose alone (P less than 0.001). However, oral msnnose or oral fructose caused no significant GIP release, yet the IRI response to a subsequent iv glucose load was moderately augmented after oral mannose or oral fructose when compared to iv glucose alone. In addition, there was a similar enhancement of glucose disposal of the iv glucose load after both oral mannose and oral fructose (P less than 0.01). From these studies we conclude that 1) galactose does not elicit IRI secretion per se, yet, like glucose, potentiates GIP and IRI secretion; 2) mannose, despite weak transport across gut or kidney, evokes significant betacytotropic effects; and 3) mannose- and fructose-induced enhancement of glucose disposal might be mediated by a factor(s) other than GIP.