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The influence of streptozotocin‐induced diabetes and the antihyperglycaemic agent metformin on the contractile characteristics and the membrane potential of the rat diaphragm
Author(s) -
McGuire M,
MacDermott M
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
experimental physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1469-445X
pISSN - 0958-0670
DOI - 10.1113/expphysiol.1998.sp004131
Subject(s) - isometric exercise , streptozotocin , metformin , medicine , diaphragm (acoustics) , diabetes mellitus , endocrinology , membrane potential , chemistry , biochemistry , physics , acoustics , loudspeaker
After 2 months of streptozotocin‐induced diabetes in rats, the membrane potential of the diaphragm muscle when measured in vitro at 30 degrees C was unchanged but the tetanic tension, the half‐relaxation time of the isometric twitch and the fatigue resistance were each reduced. Treatment of the diabetic rats with the antihyperglycaemic agent metformin prevented the decrease in half‐relaxation time and the greater degree of fatigue in the diaphragms. The possibility that changes in H+ and cyclic AMP concentrations in the diabetic muscles contributed to the decreased contractile function and that metformin acted by attenuating these changes is discussed.