Glimepiride improves both first and second phases of insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of glimepiride on insulin sensitivity and secretion in subjects with type 2 diabetes.


METHODS
After a 2-week washout from prior sulfonylurea therapy, 11 obese subjects with type 2 diabetes underwent euglycemic and hyperglycemic clamp studies before and during glimepiride therapy.


RESULTS
Glimepiride resulted in a 2.4-mmol/l decrease in fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.04) that was correlated with reductions in postabsorptive endogenous glucose production (EGP) (16.4 +/- 0.6 vs. 13.5 +/- 0.5 micro mol. kg(-1). min(-1), P = 0.01) (r = 0.21, P = 0.01). Postabsorptive EGP on glimepiride was similar to that of control subjects (12.8 +/- 0.9 micro mol. kg(-1). min(-1), NS). Fasting plasma insulin (66 +/- 18 vs. 84 +/- 48 pmol/l, P = 0.05), and first-phase (19 +/- 8 vs. 32 +/- 11 pmol/l, P = 0.04) and second-phase incremental insulin responses to glucose (48 +/- 23 vs. 72 +/- 32 pmol/l, P = 0.02) improved with glimepiride therapy. Insulin sensitivity did not change with treatment (4.6 +/- 0.7 vs. 4.3 +/- 0.7 micro mol. kg(-1). min(-1). pmol(-1)) and remained below that of control subjects (8.1 +/- 1.8 micro mol. kg(-1). min(-1). pmol(-1), P = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
The current study demonstrates that glimepiride improves both first and second phases of insulin secretion, but not insulin sensitivity, in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. korytkowski@msx.dept-med.pitt.edu
Mary
M
Korytkowski
Abraham
A
Thomas
Lynn
L
Reid
Mary Beth
MB
Tedesco
William E
WE
Gooding
John
J
Gerich
D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D015309:Glucose Clamp Technique; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds; C057619:glimepiride