Fifty-gram carbohydrate tolerance tests were performed on healthy volunteers to test the activity and specificity of an α-glucoside hydrolase inhibitor, acarbose (BAY g 5421). Two hundred milligrams acarbose reduced the area under the blood glucose response curve by 89% (P < 0.001) after sucrose, by 80% (P <0.002) after starch, by 19% (N.S.) after maltose, with no effect on glucose. Breath hydrogen measurements indicated an almost complete malabsorption of the sucrose. At 50 mg acarbose, some reduction in blood glucose and insulin response to sucrose was still seen, but no significant hydrogen production. It is suggested that at lower doses, acarbose may prolong the time course over which carbohydrate is absorbed as does dietary fiber; as with fiber, it may be a useful adjunct to diabetic therapy.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Original contribution|
November 01 1981
Scope and Specificity of Acarbose in Slowing Carbohydrate Absorption in Man
D J A Jenkins;
D J A Jenkins
Department of the Regius Professor of Medicine, Radcliffe Infirmary
Oxford
Department of Gastroenterology, Central Middlesex Hospital
London NW10
University Laboratory of Physiology
Oxford
Department of Endocrinology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital
London W12
Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Metabolic Medicine, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upoh-Tyne
England, NE14LP
Search for other works by this author on:
R H Taylor;
R H Taylor
Department of the Regius Professor of Medicine, Radcliffe Infirmary
Oxford
Department of Gastroenterology, Central Middlesex Hospital
London NW10
University Laboratory of Physiology
Oxford
Department of Endocrinology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital
London W12
Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Metabolic Medicine, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upoh-Tyne
England, NE14LP
Search for other works by this author on:
D V Goff;
D V Goff
Department of the Regius Professor of Medicine, Radcliffe Infirmary
Oxford
Department of Gastroenterology, Central Middlesex Hospital
London NW10
University Laboratory of Physiology
Oxford
Department of Endocrinology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital
London W12
Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Metabolic Medicine, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upoh-Tyne
England, NE14LP
Search for other works by this author on:
H Fielden;
H Fielden
Department of the Regius Professor of Medicine, Radcliffe Infirmary
Oxford
Department of Gastroenterology, Central Middlesex Hospital
London NW10
University Laboratory of Physiology
Oxford
Department of Endocrinology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital
London W12
Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Metabolic Medicine, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upoh-Tyne
England, NE14LP
Search for other works by this author on:
J J Misiewicz;
J J Misiewicz
Department of the Regius Professor of Medicine, Radcliffe Infirmary
Oxford
Department of Gastroenterology, Central Middlesex Hospital
London NW10
University Laboratory of Physiology
Oxford
Department of Endocrinology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital
London W12
Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Metabolic Medicine, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upoh-Tyne
England, NE14LP
Search for other works by this author on:
D L Sarson;
D L Sarson
Department of the Regius Professor of Medicine, Radcliffe Infirmary
Oxford
Department of Gastroenterology, Central Middlesex Hospital
London NW10
University Laboratory of Physiology
Oxford
Department of Endocrinology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital
London W12
Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Metabolic Medicine, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upoh-Tyne
England, NE14LP
Search for other works by this author on:
S R Bloom;
S R Bloom
Department of the Regius Professor of Medicine, Radcliffe Infirmary
Oxford
Department of Gastroenterology, Central Middlesex Hospital
London NW10
University Laboratory of Physiology
Oxford
Department of Endocrinology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital
London W12
Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Metabolic Medicine, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upoh-Tyne
England, NE14LP
Search for other works by this author on:
K G M M Alberti
K G M M Alberti
Department of the Regius Professor of Medicine, Radcliffe Infirmary
Oxford
Department of Gastroenterology, Central Middlesex Hospital
London NW10
University Laboratory of Physiology
Oxford
Department of Endocrinology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital
London W12
Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Metabolic Medicine, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upoh-Tyne
England, NE14LP
Search for other works by this author on:
Address reprint requests to David J. A. Jenkins, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, FitzGerald Building, 150 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.
Citation
D J A Jenkins, R H Taylor, D V Goff, H Fielden, J J Misiewicz, D L Sarson, S R Bloom, K G M M Alberti; Scope and Specificity of Acarbose in Slowing Carbohydrate Absorption in Man. Diabetes 1 November 1981; 30 (11): 951–954. https://doi.org/10.2337/diab.30.11.951
Download citation file:
182
Views