Effect of in Vivo Administration of Various Oral Hypoglycemic Agents on Hepatic Protein Synthesis ∗

Summary

The effects of the in vivo injection of two oral hypoglycemic agents (tolbutamide and phenethylbiguanide) upon the in vitro incorporation of leucine-¹⁴C into hepatic protein were measured. The acute injection of a large amount of either agent impaired the ability of the animals liver to synthesize protein. This impairment was seen to occur at the level of the cell sap and was not associated with the microsomes. The daily injection of smaller amounts of these compounds resulted in no significant effect on protein metabolism. The data appear to indicate that these agents may, under certain circumstances, have a deleterious effect on the protein balance of the organism.