Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 77, Issue 6 2767-2772, Copyright © 1994 by American Physiological Society
Pentoxifylline inhibits basal glucose production in humans
E. P. Corssmit, J. A. Romijn, E. Endert and H. P. Sauerwein
Department of Endocrinology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Adenosine stimulates hepatic glucose production in vitro. To investigate
whether pentoxifylline, a xanthine derivative that blocks the adenosine
receptor, inhibits basal glucose production, we measured hepatic glucose
production in eight healthy postabsorptive subjects on two occasions:
during continuous infusion of pentoxifylline and, in a control study,
during saline infusion. Glucose production was measured by primed
continuous infusion of [3-3H]glucose. Pentoxifylline infusion resulted in
an approximately 22 (volume of distribution for glucose 40 ml/kg) to
approximately 46% (volume of distribution for glucose 165 ml/kg) decrease
in basal glucose production within approximately 1 h (P < 0.05), whereas
in the control experiment glucose production declined by only approximately
4% in this time interval (P < 0.03 pentoxifylline vs. control). There
were no differences in concentrations of insulin, C peptide, glucagon, or
catecholamines between the two experiments. Because pentoxifylline
inhibited glucose production in the absence of any changes in
concentrations of glucoregulatory hormones, we conclude that
pentoxyifylline inhibits hepatic glucose production through other
mechanisms, e.g., by blocking the adenosine receptor.
