Diabetes Care, Vol 21, Issue 2 256-260, Copyright © 1998 by American Diabetes Association
Effects of voglibose on glycemic excursions, insulin secretion, and insulin sensitivity in non-insulin-treated NIDDM patients
K Matsumoto, M Yano, S Miyake, Y Ueki, Y Yamaguchi, S Akazawa and Y Tominaga
Department of Internal Medicine, Sasebo Chuou Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of voglibose, an alpha-glucosidase
inhibitor, on daily glycemic excursions, insulin secretion, and insulin
sensitivity in non-insulin-treated NIDDM patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND
METHODS: An open prospective study was conducted in 27 NIDDM patients
receiving diet therapy alone or treatment with a sulfonylurea drug. Of the
study subjects, 14 patients were treated with voglibose; the remaining 13
patients served as the control group. The metabolic parameters were
evaluated before treatment and at week 4 of treatment as follows: glycemic
excursions by M-value and 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol (1,5-AG), insulin
secretion by area under the curve of daily serum insulin (AUCinsulin), and
insulin sensitivity by the K index of the insulin tolerance test (KITT).
RESULTS: After the study treatment, HbA1c and plasma glucose in the
patients who had received voglibose were comparable to those of patients in
the control group. M-value was lower in the patients treated with voglibose
than in the control subjects (5.7 +/- 0.9 vs. 9.8 +/- 1.2, P < 0.05).
1,5-AG was higher in the patients treated with voglibose than in the
control subjects (12.2 +/- 1.0 vs. 8.2 +/- 0.7 micrograms/ml, P < 0.01).
A statistically significant increase in AUCinsulin occurred after treatment
with voglibose (2,223.5 +/- 390.6 to 1,546.7 +/- 303.4 pmol.l-1.h, P <
0.05), but no change occurred in the control group (2,364.5 +/- 315.4 to
2,464.2 +/- 269.3 pmol.l-1.h, P = 0.60). Insulin sensitivity (KITT) was
improved to a statistically significant level in both the patients treated
with voglibose and the patients in the control group. KITT in the patients
after voglibose treatment was comparable to that of the control group (3.18
+/- 0.30 vs. 3.21 +/- 0.23%/min, P = 0.94). CONCLUSIONS: The results
suggest that voglibose lowers the daily glycemic excursions and inhibits
overwork of the pancreatic beta-cells but has little effect on insulin
sensitivity in NIDDM patients.