Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 76, 178-183, Copyright © 1993 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Effects of nitrendipine on glucose tolerance and serum insulin and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels in insulin-resistant obese and hypertensive men

NA Beer, DJ Jakubowicz, RM Beer, IR Arocha and JE Nestler
Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Clinicas Caracas, Venezuela.

To determine whether the calcium channel blocker nitrendipine improves glucose tolerance, lowers circulating insulin, and raises serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) levels in insulin-resistant men, a total of 15 obese and hypertensive men were enrolled in a single blind, placebo-controlled study. A nitrendipine group (n = 8) and a placebo group (n = 7) were studied before and after treatment with either nitrendipine (10 mg) or a placebo capsule, twice daily for 7 days, by determining serum insulin, glucose, and DHEA-S levels in the fasting state and during an oral glucose tolerance test. Nitrendipine treatment 1) lowered fasting serum insulin from 265 +/- 24 to 194 +/- 22 pmol/L (P < 0.01) without changing fasting serum glucose, 2) reduced both the area under the curve for glucose (from 1246 +/- 31 to 1091 +/- 26 mmol/L.min; P < 0.005) and the area under the curve for insulin (from 123.6 +/- 9.4 to 82.9 +/- 10.0 nmol/L.min; P < 0.015) during the oral glucose tolerance test, and 3) increased fasting serum DHEA-S by 63% from 4.21 +/- 0.17 to 6.84 +/- 0.21 mumol/L (P = 0.0001). No change was noted in the placebo group. We conclude that nitrendipine treatment is associated with improved glucose tolerance, reduced fasting and glucose-stimulated serum insulin levels, and increased circulating DHEA- S levels.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. Gaudreault, M. Santure, A. Nadeau, and H. Bachelard Isradipine and insulin sensitivity in hypertensive rats Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, June 1, 1999; 276(6): E1038 - E1048. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]