Miglitol may have a blood glucose lowering effect unrelated to inhibition of alpha-glucosidase.
Miglitol is an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor which lowers blood glucose and insulin concentrations in healthy volunteers after a starch meal. It also lowers blood glucose concentrations after a starch meal in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, but under these circumstances insulin is unaffected. We have studied the effect of miglitol after a glucose load in six healthy male volunteers. Although one would expect an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor to have no effect on blood glucose concentrations after a glucose load, miglitol produced a significant decrease in blood glucose concentrations after the absorption peak. This could be due to enhancement of insulin effects or to depression of anti-insulin factors.
D017485:1-Deoxynojirimycin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D065089:Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D050112:Imino Pyranoses; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male
D001786:Blood Glucose; D065089:Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D050112:Imino Pyranoses; D007328:Insulin; C045621:miglitol; D017485:1-Deoxynojirimycin; D005944:Glucosamine