title: Effect of acarbose on postprandial blood glucose concentrations in healthy cats fed low and high carbohydrate diets.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Feeding a low carbohydrate diet is recommended for diabetic cats; however, some cats may require diets containing moderate-to-high carbohydrate and may benefit from the use of therapeutic agents to improve glycemic control. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the α-glucosidase inhibitor acarbose on postprandial plasma glucose concentration when combined with commercially available feline diets high and low in carbohydrate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve healthy, adult, non-obese, neutered cats were enrolled. Plasma glucose concentrations were assessed over 24 h after feeding high and low carbohydrate diets, with and without acarbose, during single and multiple meal tests, in a crossover study. Commercially available feline diets were used, which were high and low in carbohydrate (providing 51% and 7% of metabolizable energy, respectively).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In cats fed the high carbohydrate diet as a single meal, mean 24 h glucose concentrations were lower when acarbose was administered. Mean glucose concentrations were lower in the first 12 h when acarbose was given once daily, whereas no significant difference was observed in mean results from 12-24 h. Acarbose had little effect in cats eating multiple meals. Compared with consumption of the high carbohydrate diet with acarbose, lower mean 24 h and peak glucose concentrations were achieved by feeding the low carbohydrate diet alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In healthy cats meal-fed diets of similar composition to the diets used in this study, acarbose has minimal effect when a low carbohydrate diet is fed but reduces postprandial glucose concentrations over 24 h when a high carbohydrate diet is fed. However, mean glucose concentrations over 24 h are still higher when a high carbohydrate diet with acarbose is fed relative to the low carbohydrate diet without acarbose. Future studies in diabetic cats are warranted to confirm these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand sranee@kku.ac.th.
authors.forename: Ranee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Jacquie S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rand
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coradini
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia Current address: Jemora Pty Ltd, PO Box 2277, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Morton
mesh_terms: D020909:Acarbose; D000821:Animal Feed; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects; D002415:Cats / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D008297:Male; D019518:Postprandial Period / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D020909:Acarbose