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Plasma biguanide levels are correlated with metabolic effects in diabetic patients
Author(s) -
Marchetti P,
Benzi L,
Cecchetti P,
Giannarelli R,
Boni C,
Ciociaro D,
Ciccarone A M,
Di Cianni G,
Zappella A,
Navalesi R
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1038/clpt.1987.55
Subject(s) - phenformin , biguanide , metformin , creatinine , medicine , endocrinology , drug , diabetes mellitus , renal function , chemistry , type 2 diabetes , pharmacology
Metabolic abnormalities occur in biguanide‐treated diabetic patients. We investigated the relationship between plasma metformin and phenformin concentrations and metabolic effects. Drug levels were measured in 37 type II diabetic patients by HPLC. The method was sensitive, specific, and linear over a wide range of drug concentrations. Metformin and phenformin values ranged from 236 to 718 ng/ml and from 28 to 114 ng/ml, respectively. The plasma metformin level was correlated with triglycerides (r = −0.55; P < 0.05) but not with drug dosage, plasma glucose, HbA 1 , creatinine, creatinine clearance, lactate, pyruvate, lipid, and clinical parameters. Plasma phenformin concentrations correlated with lactate (r = 0.49; P < 0.05) and HbA 1 (r = 0.50; P < 0.05) but not with drug dosage, parameters of diabetes control, creatinine, creatinine clearance, pyruvate, and clinical parameters. The clinical usefulness of this HPLC method, the evidence that the increase of lactate is related to the circulating phenformin levels, and the demonstration that the metformin effect on triglyceride metabolism is correlated to plasma drug levels are the positive findings of this work. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1987) 41 , 450–454; doi: 10.1038/clpt.1987.55