B. Zapecka-dubno et al., Effect of oral antidiabetic agents on plasma amylin level in patients withnon-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (Type 2), ARZNEI-FOR, 49(4), 1999, pp. 330-334
The purpose of the study was the comparison of the effect of the oral thera
py of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NiDDM) with either a sulphon
ylurea or biguanide derivative on plasma amylin level. In 10 healthy indivi
duals the fasting plasma amylin level was 1.56 +/- 0.27 pmol/l (mean +/- SE
M) and 6 min after i.v. injection of 1 mg glucagon a fourfold increase was
observed. In 10 patients with NIDDM receiving glibenclamide (CAS 10238-21-8
) the fasting plasma amylin level was twofold higher than in healthy contro
l (2.72 +/- 0.38 pmol/l: p < 0.025) but following glucagon administration i
t increased only twofold. In 15 patients treated with metformin (CAS 657-24
-9) the fasting plasma amylin level was similar to that in healthy individu
als (1.64 +/- 0.25 pmol/l), but after glucagon stimulation the increment of
plasma amylin was minimal and the relevant mean value was significantly lo
wer when compared with those in healthy individuals and with NIDDM patients
treated with glibenclamide.
In 10 untreated obese patients with newly diagnosed NIDDM the administratio
n of glibenclamide (13 days) resulted in the increase of basal (2.47 +/- 0.
23 and 3.16 +/- 0.29 pmol/l; p < 0.1), and glucagon stimulated (3.34 +/- 0.
39 and 4.56 +/- 0.38: p < 0.05) plasma amylin concentrations, whereas other
10 patients receiving metformin showed a decrease in fasting plasma level
of this peptide before (2.64 +/- 0.59 and 1.28 +/- 0.38 pmol/l, p < 0.1), a
nd after glucagon injection (5.02 +/- 0.55 and 1.83 +/- 0.65 pmol/l; p < 0.
02). With the respect to the trophic effect of amyloid deposits in the panc
reatic islets and to a hypothetic effect of amylin increasing insulin resis
tance, the present results emphasize the particular usefulness of metformin
in the pharmacological treatment of NIDDM. All contraindications and side
effects of metformin should be taken into account before drug administratio
n.