Glucagon Levels During Short-Term SGLT2 Inhibition Are Largely Regulated by Glucose Changes in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Context: The mechanism mediating sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor-associated increase in glucagon levels is unknown. Objective: To assess short-term effects on glucagon, other hormones, and energy substrates after SGLT2 inhibition and whether such effects are secondary to glucose lowering. The impact of adding a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor was addressed. Design, Setting, and Patients: A phase 4, single-center, randomized, three-treatment crossover, open-label study including 15 patients with type 2 diabetes treated with metformin. Interventions: Patients received a single-dose of dapagliflozin 10 mg accompanied by the following in randomized order: isoglycemic clamp (experiment DG); saline infusion (experiment D); or saxagliptin 5 mg plus saline infusion (experiment DS). Directly after 5-hour infusions, a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed. Results: Glucose and insulin levels were stable in experiment DG and decreased in experiment D [P for difference (P-diff) < 0.001]. Glucagon-to-insulin ratio (P-diff < 0.001), and levels of glucagon (P-diff < 0.01), nonesterified fatty acids (P-diff < 0.01), glycerol (P-diff < 0.01), and beta-OH-butyrate (P-diff < 0.05) were lower in DG vs D. In multivariate analysis, change in glucose level was the main predictor of change in glucagon level. In DS, glucagon and active GLP-1 levels were higher than in D, but glucose and insulin levels did not differ. During OGTT, glucose levels rose less and glucagon levels fell more in DS vs D. Conclusion: The degree of glucose lowering markedly contributed to regulation of glucagon and insulin secretion and to lipid mobilization during short-term SGLT2 inhibition.