CBlock Clinical Studies

January 10, 2000 

Evaluation of the efficacy of an amylase inhibitor.

Tappenden, Kelly A.; Martin, Amy; Layman, Donald K.; Baum, Jamie Ilene

Journal of Faseb Journal, Vol. 15
January 10, 2000

Inhibitors of carbohydrate digestion are thought to blunt glucose uptake and potentially modify glucose homeostasis and weight loss. However, questions remain concerning activity of the inhibitor in vivo and concentrations required to modify starch digestion. To test the durability of amylase inhibitor under conditions of the GI tract, we used an inhibitor (I: approx. MW 49,000) purified from the Great Northern beans (Biotics, Rosenberg, TX). Preliminary in vitro dose-response studies indicate that concentrations of the 1 at 0.2 muM produced complete inhibition of purified procine amylase under conditions of intestinal pH. Further, addition of I to chyme isolated from the upper jejunum of rats also produced complete inhibition of amylase activity. Based on the in vitro dose-response studies, an in vivo study was conducted with rats using a 600 mOsm amino acid solution to simulate enteral feeding and designed to stimulate pancreatic secretion of amylase. The study was conducted as a cross-over design with 3 consecutive infusions spaced 15 min apart. The first infusion was either 3 ml of the AA solution of the AA plus 60 mg of I infused into the stomach, followed by 3 ml of saline, and a third infusion of 3 mls of the matching solution: Intestinal chyme was collected at the proximal end of the jejunum and tested for amylase activity. Infusion of the inhibitor decreased amylase activity by 50-75%. These results indicate that amylase inhibitor is effective in reducing amylase activity in vivo and supports the hypothesis that an amylase inhibitor may reduce or delay carbohydrate digestion and glucose absorption.