The influence of pentoxyfylline [1-(5-oxohexyl-) 3,7-dimethylxanthine] (BL 191) on the insulin secretion induced by glibenclamide and by arginine/glucose in the perfused pancreas.

Pharmacodynamic characteristics of pentoxyfylline (BL 191) related to insulin secretion by the isolated perfused rat pancreas are studied. The results obtained show that: 1) BL 191 (5 mM) is capable of stimulating insulin secretion, even in the presence of another stimulator; 2) BL 191 increases both phases of the secretion produced by constant arginine 20 mM/glucose 5 mM perfusion; 3) BL 191 significantly increases and turns biphasic the monophasic insulin secretion pattern produced by 1 microgram/ml glibenclamide; 4) the effects mentioned in points 2) and 3) are inhibited if the phosphodiesterase activator imidazole (300 mg/100 ml) is present in the perfusion medium; 5) the phosphodiesterase inhibitor theophylline has the same effects as BL 191, except for its inability to stimulate insulin release in the absence of another stimulator; 6) somatostatin (100 ng/ml) significantly inhibits insulin secretion produced by arginine/glucose or glibenclamide, as well as by arginine, glucose plus theophylline or BL 191, and by glibenclamide plus theophylline or BL 191, in both cases the inhibitory effect of somatostatin is reduced by the presence of BL 191 or theophylline.