Cysteine Prevents the Development of Experimental Diabetes Induced by Zinc-Binding Substances.

In experimental rabbits, cysteine injected intravenously in a dose of 1000 mg/kg temporarily bound zinc in β cells and prevented the formation of chelate zinc complexes in response to subsequent injection of diabetogenic zinc-binding substances that induce cell destruction. Injection of cysteine to animals was associated with a sharply negative reaction to zinc in β cells, which attests to blockade of zinc ions. Injection of cysteine few minutes after dithizone and formation of zinc-dithizone complex was followed by displacement of dithizone from the complex and prevented the development of diabetes in most animals.