Possible mechanism of proteolysis for the extrapancreatic action of tolbutamide.

In order to assess the mode of the extrapancreatic action of the sulfonylureas, we evaluated the contribution of a proteolytic mechanism for sulfonylurea action by analyzing the effects of a protease inhibitor on insulin- or tolbutamide-stimulated liver fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (F-2,6-P2) formation using isolated rat hepatocytes. The F-2,6-P2 level in hepatocytes was significantly increased by the addition of insulin or tolbutamide. The stimulatory effect of insulin on the F-2,6-P2 formation was most significant when its level was reduced by the addition of 2 microM of forskolin. Insulin action on F-2,6-P2 formation was inhibited by the addition of a protease inhibitor, p-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (TAME). Tolbutamide (2 mM) significantly increased hepatocyte F-2,6-P2 level (P less than 0.01 vs the control level). In the presence of TAME, the stimulatory effect of tolbutamide was also suppressed. The present data suggest that a proteolytic mechanism is important in both insulin and tolbutamide action on the F-2,6-P2 formation, and it may be hypothesized that, like insulin, the chemical mediator of tolbutamide action is formed proteolytically.