title: Effects of glibenclamide and metformin (alone or in combination) on insulin release from isolated human pancreatic islets.
abstract: Isolated human pancreatic islets were prepared by collagenase digestion and density gradient purification, and the effects of glibenclamide (0.5 and 5.0 mumol/l) and metformin (20 and 200 mumol/l), alone or in combination, on insulin release were evaluated at varying glucose concentrations. At 3.3 mmol/l glucose level, the addition of 5.0 mumol/l glibenclamide or 5.0 mumol/l glibenclamide plus 200 mumol/l metformin caused a significant increase of insulin release, compared with glucose alone. At 16.7 mmol/l glucose concentration, a significant increase of insulin secretion, compared with glucose alone, was produced by the addition of either 5.0 mumol/l glibenclamide, 200 mumol/l metformin, or both 5.0 mumol/l glibenclamide and 200 mumol/l metformin. The effect of the combination of the two drugs was significantly higher than that with either drug used alone. Thus, glibenclamide was shown to have an insulinotropic effect on human islets at both low and high glucose concentrations, and metformin at high glucose concentrations. A possible synergistic effect of glibenclamide and metformin at high glucose concentrations is also suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Metabolic Diseases, Institute of 2nd Medical Clinic, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lupi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giannarelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coppelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tellini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Del Guerra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lorenzetti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carmellini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Navalesi
mesh_terms: D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D017364:Collagenases; D005905:Glyburide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008687:Metformin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D008687:Metformin; D017364:Collagenases; D005905:Glyburide