title: Acute effect of benfluorex on glucose metabolism.
abstract: The antihyperlipidaemic agent benfluorex [1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)-2-(2-benzoyl-oxyethyl)-aminopropane] and its metabolite S422 [1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)-2-(2-hydroxyethyl)-aminopropane] were examined for an acute (after 1-2 hr) effect on glucose metabolism in normal rats. Enteral administration of benfluorex (25 mg/kg) did not affect basal plasma glucose and insulin concentrations. However, enteral and intravenous glucose tolerance were modestly improved without enhancing the insulin response to glucose. Hepatic gluconeogenesis from lactate was not acutely altered by benfluorex (25 mg/kg) in vivo or by S422 (1 mM) in vitro, but S422 (1 mM) slightly reduced (by 11%) hepatic glycogen mobilization in vitro after 2 hr. S422 (1 mM) increased (by 47%) glucose oxidation by diaphragm muscle in vitro. The effect was additive to that of insulin. Anaerobic glucose metabolism and glycogenesis of diaphragm muscle were not affected by S422. The results suggest that benfluorex can acutely improve glucose tolerance associated with increased glucose oxidation by muscle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, U.K.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Thornburn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose; D005277:Fenfluramine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D005277:Fenfluramine; C001584:benfluorex; D006003:Glycogen; D005947:Glucose