Patients with type 2 diabetes who were given daily treatment with sodium phenylbutyrate for 2 weeks were found to have significant improvements in peripheral insulin sensitivity and glucose oxidation, reported a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study.

Patients received their glucose-lowering medications and 4.8 g/m²/day sodium phenylbutyrate or placebo divided in three doses, for a duration of 2 weeks. This was followed by a 6-8 week washout period, and 2 weeks on the alternative treatment. Peripheral insulin sensitivity improved after 2 weeks on sodium phenylbutyrate by 27% in comparison with placebo (P = .0155). Sodium phenylbutyrate also improved carbohydrate-driven muscle mitochondrial oxidative capacity, whole-body insulin-stimulated carbohydrate oxidation, and decreased plasma branched-chain fatty acid levels. The treatment was found to be safe. The findings suggest that targeting branched-chain amino acids may serve as a novel treatment strategy for patients with type 2 diabetes… (Medscape)