alpha-Glucosidase inhibitors in diabetes: lessons from animal studies

Two rat models for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) have been used in our laboratory to study the effects of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. These models become hyperglycaemic and have other characteristics which make them good models for NIDDM, and both prevention and reversal studies have been carried out; the prevention experiments were started before the animal became diabetic while the reversal groups were treated after diabetes had fully developed. In both models blood glucose was significantly lowered toward control levels using a dose of 40 mg per 100 g of diet while there was a less dramatic, but still significant, correction with half that dose. Treatment increased the weight gain of the more diabetic model (ZDF) while there was no effect of treatment on the weight of the Wistar diabetic fatty (WDF) rat. Other parameters such as glycated haemoglobins, nerve conduction velocity and nerve sugar content are also reversed with effective treatment of the hyperglycaemic condition.