How a diabetes pill helps the body switch between burning fat and sugar

After eating, elevated blood glucose levels stimulate the release of insulin, which facilitates the movement of glucose into cells and reduces the breakdown of fat.

In a specific strain of rats with diabetes, daily doses of the drug canagliflozin for one week reduce high blood sugar after meals and improve the liver's ability to process glucose by moving an enzyme called glucokinase to the correct location inside liver cells, leading to increased glucose storage as glycogen and a shift toward using fat for energy during fasting, without affecting insulin pathways.

In a specific strain of rats with diabetes, a 7-day course of an SGLT2 inhibitor enhances how well skeletal muscle responds to insulin by lowering fat buildup inside muscle cells and increasing glucose absorption during high insulin and glucose conditions, without altering how the liver responds to insulin.

In a specific strain of rats with diabetes, a 7-day course of an SGLT2 inhibitor raises the amount of glucose produced by the liver during fasting by about 30% and lowers the amount of glucose used by the body by 40%, resulting in metabolic changes similar to those seen during fasting or reduced calorie intake.

In a specific strain of rats with diabetes, a 7-day course of an SGLT2 inhibitor improves the ability to switch between burning fat and glucose for energy, as shown by changes in respiratory gas exchange and lower fat buildup in cells.