Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

Homogeneous Time-resolved Förster Resonance Energy Transfer-based Assay for Detection of Insulin Secretion
Published on: May 10, 2018
Pharmacologic agents for type 2 diabetes therapy and regulation of adipogenesis
A Cignarelli1, F Giorgino, R Vettor
1Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, Section of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Andrology, and Metabolic Diseases, University of Bari "Aldo Moro" , Bari , Italy and.
Abstract:
The close link between type 2 diabetes and excess body weight highlights the need to consider the effects on weight of different treatments used for correction of hyperglycaemia. Indeed, specific currently available diabetes therapies can cause weight gain, including insulin and its analogues, sulphonylureas, and thiazolidinediones, while others, such as metformin and the GLP-1 receptor agonists, can promote weight loss. Excess body weight in patients with diabetes is largely due to expansion of adipose tissue, and these drugs could interfere with the mechanisms underlying the expansion and differentiation of adipocyte precursors. Almost all anti-diabetes drugs could also potentially affect adipocyte metabolism directly, by modulating lipogenesis, lipolysis, and fat oxidation. This review will examine the available evidence for specific effects of various anti-diabetes drugs on adipose tissue development and function with the ultimate goal of increasing our understanding of how pharmacological agents can modulate energy balance and body fat.
Related Concept Videos
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: Biguanides and Glitazones
Glucagon-like Receptor Agonists
GLP-1, when administered in high doses intravenously, triggers insulin secretion, inhibits glucagon release, slows gastric emptying, reduces food intake, and restores normal insulin secretion. However, its rapid inactivation by the...
Diabetes: Management and Pharmacotherapy
Insulin remains the cornerstone of treatment for most patients with type 1 and many...
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: α-Glucosidase Inhibitors
Acarbose and miglitol are typically...
Type II Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Inhibitors