Angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers improve insulin sensitivity in patients with schizophrenia being treated with olanzapine.

Rationale: Olanzapine (OLZ) is known to cause weight gain and metabolic disturbances, which may have serious implications with respect to medical comorbidities such as metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) which are widely used as antihypertensive agents, valsartan (VAL) and telmisartan (TEL), on insulin resistance in patients with schizophrenia treated with OLZ.

Methods: Thirty inpatients with schizophrenia with OLZ monotherapy over 8 weeks participated in this study.

Time-course of hepatic cytochrome p450 subfamily induction by chronic carbamazepine treatment in rats.

Recent studies indicate that carbamazepine (CBZ) induces hepatic cytochrome p450 (CYP) protein subfamilies. The present study examines the time-course of the appearance of hepatic CYP subfamilies (2B, 3A) and serum levels of CBZ and its metabolite, CBZ epoxide (CBZE), induced by CBZ treatment in rats. Male Wistar rats were given 5 g of CBZ (CBZ-treated) per 1 kg of feed for 3, 7, 14, 28 and 42 d or feed without CBZ (control).