Antidiabetic Activity and Mechanisms of Acarbose in $KKA^{y}$ Mice

To elucidate antidiabetic effect and mechanism(s) of acarbose in a polygenic spontaneous hyperglycemic and hyperinsulinemic diabetic animal model, $KKA^y$ mice, acarbose was administered orally for 4 weeks and effects on body weight, plasma glucose and insulin levels, genetic expressions of intestinal sucrase-isomaltase (SI), sodium-glucose cotransporter (sGLT1) and glucose transporter in quadriceps muscle (GLUT4) were examined in this study. Although no differences in body weight were detected between control and acarbose-treated groups, plasma glucose level in acarbose-treated group was markedly reduced as compared to the control. In the mechanism study, acarbose downregulated the SI and SGLT1 gene expressions, and upregulated the GLUT4 mRNA and protein expressions when compared to the control group. In conclusion, the data obtained strongly implicate that acarbose can prevent the hyperglycemia in $KKA^y$ mice possibly through blocking intestinal glucose absorption by downregulations of SI and sGLT1 mRNA expressions, and upregulation of skeletal muscle GLUT4 mRNA and protein expressions.