Glyburide and other sulfonylureas consistently enhance receptor binding in cells from patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, whereas no effects and mixed effects have been demonstrated in cells from patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and in normal cells, respectively. These findings indicate that the experimental model may be critical in demonstrating sulfonylurea effects on receptor binding. Postbinding function studies have shown a definite enhancement of peripheral glucose metabolism by sulfonylurea drugs; such post-receptor changes have not clearly correlated with receptor binding alterations. Studies using mouse-cultured myocytes indicate that both glyburide and tolazamide have stimulatory effects on glucose uptake, whereas only glyburide caused an increase in receptor binding. The data suggest a major and widespread post-receptor function for the sulfonylurea drugs, particularly glyburide, possibly mediated through pathways similar but not identical to insulin pathways. The direct receptor effects, in contrast, are possibly more tissue-specific and/or disease-dependent. In non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, these drugs exert clinical efficacy by acting through both mechanisms.