Oral hypoglycaemic drugs in alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus in dogs

Abstract

The effect of the alpha-glycosidase inhibitor acarbose, the insulin sensitiser metformin and the insulin secretiser gliclazide on blood glucose level of dogs were examined in experimental diabetes. Dogs were randomly divided into three groups. During the first week of the experimental period control blood glucose data were determined. During the subsequent five weeks, the first group (n = 6) was administered acarbose (200 mg/dog/day), the second (n = 5) was treated with metformin (1700 mg/dog/day), and the third was given gliclazide (160 mg/dog/day). The drug was administered twice daily when feeding at 7:00 and 15:00 h. The average difference between postprandial and fasting blood glucose was determined for the treated and the control period, and the statistical significance of their difference (mean decrease) was evaluated by two-sampled t-test. The mean decrease in blood glucose was 0.49 mmol/l (P = 0.09) for acarbose, 1.15 mmol/l (P = 0.01) for metformin, and 0.08 mmol/l (P = 0.88) for gliclazide. According to the results of statistical evaluation, metformin was the only drug that caused a significant decrease in postprandial blood glucose.