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Drugs for Diabetes Mellitus

A 59-year-old man suffering from type 2 diabetes had been receiving an oral antidiabetic therapy that included a drug that closes adenosine triphosphate (ATP)−sensitive K+ channels on pancreatic β-cell membranes. Which of the following drugs most likely uses this mechanism of action?

ExplanationSulfonylureas such as glyburide act by binding to a specific receptor that is closely linked to the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)−sensitive K+ channels in pancreatic β-cell membranes. This causes a blockade of the e u x of K+, which in turn leads to membrane depolarization. Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels open in response to depolarization, thus increasing intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. This increased concentration ultimately stimulates the release of insulin by exocytosis.