Modulation of the insulinotropic action of glibenclamide and glimepiride by nutrient secretagogues in pancreatic islets from normoglycemic and hyperglycemic rats.

In perifused pancreatic islets from euglycemic rats, the secretory response to either glibenclamide or glimepiride (1.0 microM each) increases as a function of the concentration of D-glucose (2.8-16.7 mM) present in the perifusion medium. On the contrary, the sulfonylurea-induced increment in 45Ca efflux from prelabeled islets decreases at increasing concentrations of the hexose. Neither glibenclamide nor glimepiride affect D-glucose metabolism in isolated islets, as judged from the production of 3HOH from D-[5-3H]glucose or the generation of 14CO2, as well as 14C-labeled amino acids and acidic metabolites, from D-[3,4-14C]glucose, D-[2-14C]glucose and D-[6-14C]glucose. The insulinotropic action of the hypoglycemic sulfonylureas is not impaired in islets prepared from rats infused for 48 hr with a hypertonic solution of D-glucose. The dimethyl ester of succinic acid is more efficient than D-glucose in supporting the insulin-releasing effect of glibenclamide or glimepiride. Thus, although the insulinotropic action of hypoglycemic sulfonylureas appears unaffected in a model of B-cell glucotoxicity, a potentiation of their secretory effects might be expected, in non-insulin-dependent diabetes, from the combined administration of succinic acid methyl ester.