Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Nov-Dec;76(6):559-566.
doi: 10.1016/j.therap.2021.09.003. Epub 2021 Sep 22.

The discovery of hypoglycaemic sulphonamides - Montpellier, 1942

Thierry Lavabre-Bertrand  1 , Jean-Luc Faillie  2
Affiliations
Free article

The discovery of hypoglycaemic sulphonamides - Montpellier, 1942

Thierry Lavabre-Bertrand et al. Therapie. 2021 Nov-Dec.
Free article

Abstract

The pathophysiological study of diabetes mellitus took an important place in the school of Montpellier since the end of the XIXth century with Emmanuel Hedon's (1863-1933) contribution to the demonstration of the endocrine function of the pancreas. In 1942, a new sulfonamide compound (2254RP) was tested in the infectious diseases department of Pr M. Janbon (1898-1996) on cases of typhoid fever, leading to several deaths rapidly related to hypoglycaemia. The physiologist Auguste Loubatières (1912-1977) rapidly demonstrated that this hypoglycaemic effect required the presence of pancreas and was explained by stimulation of insulin secretion. He contributed to the description of a hypoglycaemic effect of several other sulphonamide compounds. He considered the diagnostic and therapeutic relevance of this class of drugs. This is a good example of a medical discovery combining a favourable local environment, serendipity and perfect experimental approach.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Diabète sucré; Hypoglycaemic drugs; Médicaments hypoglycémiants; Sulfamides; Sulfonamides.

PubMed Disclaimer