Summary
Twelve hour metabolic rhythms have been determined in two groups of subjects during combined therapy with a sulphonylurea and phenformin 50 mg twice daily. Subjects with clinical evidence of complications of diabetes showed greater abnormalities in concentrations of blood intermediary metabolites than a group of subjects without complications despite similar mean blood glucose concentrations in the two groups (7.6 mmol/l with complications; 7.3 mmol/l without complications). Mean blood lactate (1.93 mmol/l v 1.39 mmol/l), alanine (0.56 mmol/1 v 0.43 mmol/l), total blood ketone bodies (0.20 mmol/l v 0.14 mmol/l) and several other intermediary metabolites and their ratios were significantly higher in the group with diabetic complications. It is suggested that the differences between the two groups may arise from impaired disposal of phenformin leading to higher blood concentrations in the group with diabetic complications, despite normal liver function tests and plasma creatinine concentration. It is probable that this accumulation of phenformin results in more pronounced effect upon blood glucose and other intermediary metabolites. Thus, the metabolic abnormalities previously reported in patients treated by phenformin alone are also present during combined sulphonylurea and phenformin therapy, and in the presence of diabetic microangiopathy these abnormalities are accentuated.
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Nattrass, M., Todd, P.G., Turnell, D. et al. Metabolic abnormalities during combined sulphonylurea and phenformin therapy in maturity-onset diabetics. Diabetologia 14, 389–395 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01228133
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01228133