[Effect of adebit (N-butylbiguanide) on the metabolism and oxidation of glucose in rat tissues in vitro].

The effect of adebit (N-butylbiguanide) on the rat tissues in vitro, namely, on sugar consumption and transport, glucose oxidation, as well as on gluconeogenesis in the rat organism, was studied. Glucose consumption and D-xylose transport in the diaphragms of intact animals and glucose consumption and oxidation in the epididymal fat of rats, given hydrocortisone, were determined. Gluconeogenesis intensity under adebit action was investigated according to the blood sugar level following adrenaline injections to rats after 24-hour fasting. It was established that the administration of adebit at concentrations of 0.2 to 0.5 mM results in intensified insulin-independent glucose consumption and xylose transport in the diaphragm, the maximum transport rate being augmented and the dissociation constant remaining unchanged. It is concluded that adebit does not change the properties of sugar transmitter, but influences the cell metabolism by inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation. The use of adebit in therapeutic concentrations (5 to 10 mcM) gave an insulin-dependent rise of glucose consumption and oxidation in the fatty tissue by 44%. A decrease in the blood sugar level in the presence of adrenaline hyperglycemia under the action of adebit therapeutic doses was not observed. It is concluded that biguanide hypoglycemizing action in diabetes mellitus is based on the biguanide potentiated insulin effectiveness.