Effect of acute and chronic cimetidine administration on glucose tolerance and insulin secretion in man.

The effect of acute and chronic cimetidine administration on glucose tolerance and insulin secretion was studied in healthy male volunteers. Cimetidine was administered intravenously (4 mg X kg-1 followed by 0.7 mg X kg-1 X h-1) in acute studies and by oral route (1 g/die for 4 weeks) in long-term studies. Oral (100 g) or intravenous (0.5 g X kg-1) glucose was used as a stimulus for insulin secretion in both studies. Neither acute nor chronic cimetidine administration modified insulin secretion and glucose tolerance. These data are consistent with the idea that H2-receptors are not involved in the insulinogenic effect of glucose.