A study on disopyramide-induced hypoglycemia

Abstract

The various types are seen in the hypoglycemic responses after the administration of disopyramide in the rats (Donryu & Long-Evans strains). Two main types extracted from them are named the initial hypoglycemia and the sustained hypoglycemia, respectively. Initial hypoglycemia, which is found to be dose-dependent and insulin-independent, is observable in all animals treated with disopyramide. Sustained hypoglycemia, which is insulin-dependent, can be observed in a part of the tested rats at the rate of approximately 1/5. This appearance rate for the cases showing the sustained response is found to rise to approximately 4/5 after the pretreatment with propranolol, while the rates are not given any change by the pretreatment with C₆ or phentolamine.
Disopyramide is concluded to have two action-sites in pancreas ; namely, the first one is the direct stimulation of B-cell in the islets and the second one is the elevation of the activity of the β-adrenergic neuron which is suspected to suppress the insulin liberation.