Effect of prolonged gliclazide therapy in non-insulin dependent diabetic subjects

The effect of prolonged gliclazide treatment on diabetic metabolic control was studied in 10 subjects with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Patients were examined before, after 15 days of treatment with diet alone and, again, after 60 days of treatment with diet plus gliclazide. Gliclazide did not restore the abnormality of blood glucose, free insulin and C-peptide response to an intensive stimulus of glucose load, although fasting and after-load blood glucose, fasting glycosylated haemoglobin, alanine and lactate significantly decreased after prolonged treatment with diet plus gliclazide, but not with diet alone. These findings support the assumption that the efficacy of prolonged treatment with gliclazide might be related to its extrapancreatic effects on glucose homeostasis.