Effect of acarbose (α-glucosidase inhibitor) on disaccharase activity in small intestine in KK-Ay and ddY mice

Abstract

The hypoglycemic effect and the α-glucosidase activity inhibition of acarbose (AC: α-glucosidase inhibitor) were investigated in normal and KK- Ay mice, an animal model of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). AC improved hyperglycemia after an oral administration of maltose or sucrose, dose dependently in normal mice (1, 10, and 50mg/kg body weight) and in KK- Ay mice (50mg/kg). Furthermore, AC (50 mg/kg) significantly inhibited maltase and sucrase activities in the small intestines of normal and KK-Ay mice (inhibitory efficacy: sucrase >maltase). The enzymatic inhibition in KK-Ay mice is stronger than in normal mice. However, AC (50 mg/kg) did not suppress the blood glucose in oral lactose tolerance and did not inhibit the lactase activity in either normal or KK-Ay mice. These findings indicate that the AC effect on the inhibition of α-glucosidase activity is selective for sucrase and maltase in normal and NIDDM mice.