Acarbose

Systematic (IUPAC) name
(2R,3R,4R,5S,6R)-5-{[(2R,3R,4R,5S,6R)-5- {[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4-dihydroxy-6-methyl- 5-{[(1S,4R,5S,6S)-4,5,6-trihydroxy-3- (hydroxymethyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-yl]amino} tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl]oxy}-3,4-dihydroxy- 6-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl]oxy}- 6-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2,3,4-triol
Clinical data
Trade names	Precose
AHFS/Drugs.com	monograph
MedlinePlus	a696015
Licence data	US FDA:link
Pregnancy cat.	B3 (AU) B (US)
Legal status	POM (UK) ℞-only (US)
Routes	Oral
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	Extremely low
Metabolism	Gastrointestinal tract
Half-life	2 hours
Excretion	Renal (less than 2%)
Identifiers
CAS number	56180-94-0 Y
ATC code	A10BF01
PubChem	CID 444254
DrugBank	DB00284
ChemSpider	392239 Y
UNII	T58MSI464G Y
KEGG	D00216 Y
ChEMBL	CHEMBL1566 Y
Chemical data
Formula	C25H43NO18
Mol. mass	645.605 g/mol
SMILES	eMolecules & PubChem
InChI InChI=1S/C25H43NO18/c1-6-11(26-8-2-7(3-27)12(30)15(33)13(8)31)14(32)19(37)24(40-6)43-22-10(5-29)42-25(20(38)17(22)35)44-21-9(4-28)41-23(39)18(36)16(21)34/h2,6,8-39H,3-5H2,1H3/t6-,8+,9-,10-,11-,12-,13+,14+,15+,16-,17-,18-,19-,20-,21-,22-,23-,24-,25-/m1/s1 Y Key:XUFXOAAUWZOOIT-SXARVLRPSA-N Y
Y (what is this?)  (verify)

Acarbose is an anti-diabetic drug used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus and, in some countries, prediabetes. It is a generic sold in Europe and China as Glucobay (Bayer AG), in North America as Precose (Bayer Pharmaceuticals), and in Canada as Prandase (Bayer AG). It is cheap and popular in China, but not in the U.S., because it is not potent enough to justify the side effects of diarrhea and flatulation.^[1] It is a starch blocker, and inhibits alpha glucosidase, an intestinal enzyme that releases glucose from larger carbohydrates. It is composed of an acarviosin moiety with a maltose at the reducing terminus.

Mechanism of action[link]

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 reduction in Hb_A1c level.^[2] This reduction averages an absolute decrease of 0.7%, which is a decrease of about 10% in typical Hb_A1c values in diabetes studies.^[3]

Dosing[link]

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 may take doses of 25 mg 3 times daily, increasing to 100 mg 3 times a day.

Side-effects[link]

Since acarbose prevents the degradation of complex carbohydrates into glucose, some carbohydrate will remain in the intestine and be delivered to the colon. In the colon, bacteria digest the complex carbohydrates, causing gastrointestinal side-effects such as flatulence (78% of patients) and diarrhea (14% of patients). Since these effects are dose-related, in general it is advised to start with a low dose and gradually increase the dose to the desired amount. One study found that G.I. side effects decreased significantly (from 50% to 15%) over 24 weeks, even on constant dosing.^[4]

If a patient using acarbose suffers from a bout of hypoglycemia, the patient must eat something containing monosaccharides, such as fruit juice or 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.

Hepatitis has been reported with acarbose use. It usually goes away when the medicine is stopped.^[5] Therefore, liver enzymes should be checked before and during use of this medicine.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Precose (acarbose) Tablet - NIH Information [Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation]
• "Probing the Pancreas" - by Craig D. Reid, Ph.D. (US FDA Consumer Article)