Encyclopedic Reference of Molecular Pharmacology

2004 Edition

Oral Antidiabetic Drugs

Reference work entry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-29832-0_1176
How to cite

Clifford J Bailey

Aston University, Birmingham, UK

c.j.bailey@aston.ac.uk

Synonyms

Oral hypoglycaemic agents; oral blood glucose-lowering drugs; insulin secretagogues; antihyper-glycaemics.

Definition

Oral antidiabetic drugs are used to treat hyperglycaemia in type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. They are used in conjunction with non-pharmacological interventions involving diet, exercise and health education. The classes of oral antidiabetic drugs are sulphonylureas, prandial insulin releasers (also termed meglitinides), the biguanide metformin, thiazolidinediones and α-glucosidase inhibitors (Table 1).
Table 1

Classes of oral antidiabetic drugs and their main mechanisms of action.

Class

Examplesa

Main Mechanism of Action

Sulphonylureas

Chlorpropamide, glibenclamideb, gliclazide, glimepiride, glipizide, gliquidone, tolazamide, tolbutamide

Stimulate insulin secretion (typically 6–24 h)

Prandial insulin releasers (meglitinides)

Repaglinide, nateglinide

Stimulate insulin...
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References

  1. 1.
    Bailey CJ (2000) Antidiabetic drugs. Brit. J. Cardiol. 7:350–360Google Scholar
  2. 2.
    DeFronzo RA (1999) Pharmacologic therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Ann. Intern. Med. 131:281–303Google Scholar
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    Lebovitz HE (1999) Insulin secretagogues; old and new. Diabetes Revs. 7:139–153Google Scholar
  4. 4.
    Bailey CJ (2000) Potential new treatments for type 2 diabetes. Trends in Pharmacol. Sci. 21:259–265CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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    Lebovitz HE (1998) α-Glucosidase inhibitors as agents in the treatment of diabetes. Diabetes Revs. 6:132–145Google Scholar
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    Bailey CJ, Day C (2001) Thiazolidinediones today. Brit. J. Diab. Vasc. Dis 1:7–13CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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    Wiernsperger NF, Bailey CJ (1999) The antihyperglycaemic effect of metformin: therapeutic and cellular mechanisms. Drugs 58: suppl 1, 30–39Google Scholar
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    Ashcroft FM, Gribble FM (1999) ATP-sensitive K+ channels and insulin secretion: their role in health and disease. Diabetologia 42:903–919PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
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    Murphy GJ, Holder JC (2000) PPAR-γ agonists: therapeutic role in diabetes, inflammation and cancer. Trends in Pharmacol. Sci. 21:469–474CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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© Springer-Verlag 2004