title: Biguanides may produce hypoglycemic action in isolated rat hepatocytes through their effects on L-alanine transport.
abstract: We investigated the mechanisms of the effects of the biguanides metformin and buformin on hepatic gluconeogenesis in hepatocytes isolated from normal rats. Both 10 nM glucagon and 50 microM dibutyryl cAMP increased [3H]alanine uptake in isolated hepatocytes of normal rats by about 150% and 55%, respectively, compared with the effect of 5 mM alanine alone. Metformin (3 mM) reduced glucagon-stimulated [3H]alanine uptake to the level seen with alanine alone; buformin (3 mM) inhibited glucagon-stimulated [3H]alanine uptake by about 69%. The effects of biguanides on dibutyryl cAMP-stimulated [3H]alanine uptake were similar, but of smaller magnitude compared with those observed in the presence of glucagon. Ouabain (3 mM) had a stronger inhibitory effect on [3H]alanine uptake than the biguanides. However, 3 mM tolbutamide failed to suppress [3H]alanine uptake in the presence or absence of glucagon or dibutyryl cAMP. Our results suggest that the inhibition of alanine uptake, related to a reduction in the Na+/L-alanine transport system, is a possible mechanism of biguanide-related inhibition of hepatic gluconeogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komori
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sakakibara
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D003994:Bucladesine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002026:Buformin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005934:Glucagon / Q000494:pharmacology; D005943:Gluconeogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008687:Metformin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010042:Ouabain / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014044:Tolbutamide / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D010042:Ouabain; D003994:Bucladesine; D005934:Glucagon; D008687:Metformin; D014044:Tolbutamide; D000409:Alanine; D002026:Buformin