title: Fenfluramine increases insulin action in patients with NIDDM.
abstract: These studies examined the effect of fenfluramine on insulin action and insulin secretion in healthy subjects and patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). In the first study, a double-blind crossover design was used in healthy subjects to compare the effect of short-term fenfluramine therapy (60 mg orally for 3 days) with placebo. Insulin secretion and whole-body insulin sensitivity (determined by frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance tests with analysis by the minimal-model method) were unchanged by fenfluramine. In the second study, involving patients with NIDDM inadequately controlled on submaximal to maximal doses of oral hypoglycemic agents, a double-blind crossover strategy was used to compare baseline studies (conducted after a run-in period) with fenfluramine (60 mg orally) or placebo for 4 wk. There was a significant fall in fasting blood glucose after therapy with fenfluramine compared with the baseline study period (13.0 +/- 1.2 vs. 8.4 +/- 0.89 mM, mean +/- SE, P less than .01) with no significant fall in fasting serum insulin (20 +/- 2 vs. 24 +/- 3 microU/ml) or C-peptide (1.3 +/- 0.2 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.1 nM). During euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic (1 mU.kg-1.min-1) clamp studies there was a significant increase in insulin action from 12.7 +/- 2.3 to 17.3 +/- 1.8 min-1.10(3) microU.ml-1 (P less than .05), although clamp insulin levels were lower after fenfluramine treatment (136 +/- 14 vs. 96 +/- 9 microU/ml, P less than .02), reflecting an enhanced metabolic clearance rate for insulin (12.7 +/- 1.5 vs. 20.1 +/- 2.1 ml.kg-1.min-1, P less than .025).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: University of Melbourne, Department of Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Pestell
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Crock
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Alford
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Best
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005277:Fenfluramine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005905:Glyburide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D001120:Arginine; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D005277:Fenfluramine; D005905:Glyburide; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin