Original Articles
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2001. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 15, 2001; 7(2): 270-274
Published online Apr 15, 2001. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v7.i2.270
Inhibitory effect of voglibose and gymnemic acid on maltose absorption in vivo
Hong Luo, Toshiaki Imoto, Yasutake Hiji
Hong Luo, Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
Toshiaki Imoto, Yasutake Hiji, Departments of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683-0826, Japan
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by Japanese Government (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan, MONBUSHO) scholarship No. 933241 (1994-1999).
Correspondence to: Dr. Hong Luo, Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medicine, CAMS/PUMC, 5 Dongdansantiao Beijing 100005, China. hongluo1@263.net
Telephone: +86-10-65296463 Fax: +86-10-65133604
Received: September 21, 2000
Revised: September 26, 2000
Accepted: September 29, 2000
Published online: April 15, 2001
Abstract

AIM: To determine whether diabetic care can be improved by combination of voglibose and gymnemic acid (GA), we compared the combinative and individual effects of voglibose and GA on maltose absorption in small intestine.

METHODS: The small intestine 30 cm long from 2 cm caudal ward Treitz’s ligament of Wistar rat was used as an in situ loop, which was randomly perfused in recircular mode with maltose (10 mmol/L) with or without different dosages of voglibose and/or GA for 1 h. To compare the time course, perfusion of 10 mmol/L maltose was repeated four times. Each time continued for 1 h and separated by 30 min rinse. In the first time, lower dosages of GA (0.5 g/L) and/or voglibose (2 μmol/L) were contained except control.

RESULTS: Absorptive rate of maltose was the lowest in combinative group (P < 0.05, ANOVA), for example, the inhibition rate was about 37% during the first hour when0.5 g/L-GA and 2 μmol/L voglibose with 10 mmol/L maltose were perfused in the loop. The onset time was shortened to 30 min and the effective duration was prolonged to 4 h with the combination; therefore the total amount of maltose absorption during the effective duration was inhibited more significantly than that in the individual administration (P < 0.05, U test of Mann Whitney). The effect of GA on absorptive barriers of the intestine played an important role in the combinative effects.

CONCLUSION: There are augmented effects of voglibose and GA. The management of diabetes mellitus can be improved by employing the combination.

Keywords: diabetes mellitus/therapy; maltose; gymnemic acid; alpha-glycosidases; intestinal mucosa; nutrition; voglibose