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act by increasing insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells by binding an ATPase K+ channel ⇒ reduced K efflux ⇒ depolarisation ⇒ opens voltage gated Ca gates ⇒ rise in intracellular calcium ⇒ increased fusion of insulin granulae with the cell membrane ⇒ increased secretion of (pro)insulin.
potentially teratogenic and cannot be used in pregnancy or in patients who may become pregnant.
can induce weight gain, mainly as a result their effect to increase insulin levels and thus utilization of glucose and other metabolic fuels
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have varying half lives thus some can be taken once a day while others need to be taken bd or tds