Effect of galactose-1-phosphate on glucose oxidation by normal and galactosemic leukocytes.

During incubation with galactose, galactosemic leukocytes accumulated more galactose-l-phosphate than did normal leukocytes. Concomitant determination of glucose oxidation, with C(14) glucose, revealed no inhibition of the hexosemonophosphate pathway. These results are at variance with recent studies in rat lens tissue, which suggests that intracellular galactose-1-phosphate depressed glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and the oxidative pathway.