Acarbose
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| Acarbose
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| Systematic (IUPAC) name | |
| (2R,3R,4S,5R,6R)-5-[(2R,3R,4S,5R,6R)-5- [(2R,3R,4S,5R,6R)-3,4-dihydroxy-6-methyl- 5-[[(1S,4S,5S,6S)-4,5,6-trihydroxy-3-(hydroxy methyl)-1-cyclohex-2-enyl]amino]oxan-2-yl] oxy-3,4-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan- 2-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-2,3,4-triol | |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | |
| ATC code | A10 |
| PubChem | |
| DrugBank | |
| Chemical data | |
| Formula | C25H45N3O16 |
| Mol. mass | 643.635 g/mol |
| Pharmacokinetic data | |
| Bioavailability | Extremely low |
| Metabolism | Gastrointestinal tract |
| Half life | 2 hours |
| Excretion | Renal (less than 2%) |
| Therapeutic considerations | |
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| Pregnancy cat. | |
| Legal status | |
| Routes | Oral |
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Acarbose is an anti-diabetic drug used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus and, in some countries, prediabetes. It is sold in Europe under the brand name Glucobay® (Bayer AG), in North America as Precose® (Bayer AG), and in Canada as Prandase® (Bayer AG). It is an inhibitor of alpha glucosidase, an enteric enzyme that releases glucose from larger carbohydrates.
Mechanism of action
Acarbose inhibits enzymes (glycoside hydrolases) needed to digest carbohydrates: specifically alpha-glucosidase enzymes in the brush border of the small intestines and pancreatic alpha-amylase. Pancreatic alpha-amylase hydrolyzes complex starches to oligosaccharides in the lumen of the small intestine, whereas the membrane-bound intestinal alpha-glucosidases hydrolyze oligosaccharides, trisaccharides, and disaccharides to glucose and other monosaccharides in the small intestine. Inhibition of these enzyme systems reduces the rate of digestion of complex carbohydrates. Less glucose is absorbed because the carbohydrates are not broken down into glucose molecules. In diabetic patients, the short-term effect of these drugs therapies is to decrease current blood glucose levels: the long term effect is a small reduction in HbA1c level.[1]
Dosing
Since acarbose prevents the digestion of complex carbohydrates, the drug should be taken at the start of main meals. (Taken with first bite of meal.) Moreover, the amount of complex carbohydrates in the meal will determine the effectiveness of acarbose in decreasing postprandial hyperglycemia. Adults are to take doses of 25mg 3 times daily.
Side effects
Since acarbose prevents the degradation of complex carbohydrates into glucose, the carbohydrates will remain in the intestine. In the colon, bacteria will digest the complex carbohydrates, thereby causing gastrointestinal side effects such as flatulence and diarrhea.
Since these effects are dose-related, it is generally advised to start with a low dose and gradually increase the dose to the desired amount.
If a patient using acarbose suffers from a bout of hypoglycemia, the patient should eat something containing monosaccharides, such as glucose tablets. Since acarbose will prevent the digestion of complex carbohydrates, starchy foods will not effectively reverse a hypoglycemic episode in a patient taking acarbose.
References
External links
- Precose (acarbose) Tablet - NIH Information [Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation]
- "Probing the Pancreas" - by Craig D. Reid, Ph.D. (US FDA Consumer Article)
Oral antidiabetic drugs and Insulin analogs (A10) | |
|---|---|
| Biguanides | Metformin |
| Sulfonylureas | Chlorpropamide, Glibenclamide (Glyburide), Gliclazide, Glimepiride, Glipizide, Gliquidone, Tolazamide, Tolbutamide |
| Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors | Acarbose, Miglitol, Voglibose |
| Thiazolidinediones (TZD) | Pioglitazone, Rivoglitazone†, Rosiglitazone, Troglitazone‡ |
| Meglitinides | Nateglinide, Repaglinide, Mitiglinide |
| Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors | Alogliptin†, Saxagliptin†, Sitagliptin, Vildagliptin, Linagliptin† |
| Glucagon-like peptide-1 analog | Exenatide, Liraglutide†, Albiglutide† |
| Amylin analog | Pramlintide |
| Insulin analogs | fast acting (Insulin lispro, Insulin aspart, Insulin glulisine), long acting (Insulin glargine, Insulin detemir) |
| Dual PPAR agonists | Aleglitazar†, Muraglitazar§, Tesaglitazar§ |
| SGLT2 inhibitor | Dapagliflozin†, Remogliflozin† |
| †Undergoing clinical trials. ‡ Withdrawn from market. §Development halted. | |
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
