Effects of phenobarbital and cimetidine on the blood glucose concentration and hepatic enzyme activities of congenitally obese mice.
Blood glucose levels of congenitally obese mice, which can be used to represent an animal model of type II diabetes mellitus, were decreased significantly by phenobarbital treatment but not altered by acute cimetidine. Liver/body weight ratio, microsomal protein content, NADPH cytochrome C reductase as well as glucose-6-phosphatase activity in the liver homogenate were significantly increased by phenobarbital but not changed by cimetidine. These results suggest that the glucose-lowering effect of phenobarbital may be mediated through activation of glucose processing enzymes.