Endocrinology Vol. 141, No. 10 3703-3709
Copyright © 2000 by The Endocrine Society
Glucagon-Like Peptide-1, But Not Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Peptide, Regulates Fasting Glycemia and Nonenteral Glucose Clearance in Mice1
Laurie Baggio2,
Timothy J. Kieffer3 and
Daniel J. Drucker4
Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Medicine
(L.B., D.J.D.), Banting and Best Diabetes Centre, University Health
Network, Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M56 2C4; and the Departments of
Medicine and Physiology (T.J.K.), University of Alberta, Alberta,
Canada T6G 2S2
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Daniel J. Drucker, Toronto General Hospital, 101 College Street CCRW3845, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5G 2C4. E-mail: d.drucker{at}utoronto.ca
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Abstract
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Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent
insulinotropic peptide (GIP) potentiate glucose-stimulated insulin
secretion after enteral nutrient ingestion. We compared the relative
incretin and nonincretin actions of GLP-1 and GIP in +/+
and GLP-1R-/- mice using exendin(939) and immunopurified
anti-GIP receptor antisera (GIPR Ab) to antagonize GLP-1
and GIP action, respectively. Both antagonists produced a significant
increase in glycemic excursion after oral glucose loading of +/+ mice
(P < 0.05 for antagonists vs.
controls). Exendin(939) also increased blood glucose and decreased
glucose-stimulated insulin in +/+ mice after ip glucose loading
[0.58 ± 0.02 vs. 0.47 ± 0.02 ng/ml in
saline- vs. exendin(939)-treated mice, respectively,
P < 0.05]. In contrast, GIPR Ab had no effect on
glucose excursion or insulin secretion, after ip glucose challenge, in
+/+ or GLP-1R-/- mice. Repeated administration of exendin(939)
significantly increased blood glucose and reduced circulating insulin
levels but had no effect on levels of pancreatic insulin or insulin
messenger RNA transcripts. In contrast, no changes in plasma
glucose, circulating insulin, pancreatic insulin content, or insulin
messenger RNA were observed in mice, 18 h after administration of
GIPR Ab. These findings demonstrate that GLP-1, but not
GIP, plays an essential role in regulating glycemia, independent of
enteral nutrient ingestion in mice in vivo.
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Introduction
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THE OBSERVATION, that oral glucose
administration stimulates a greater increase in insulin secretion from
pancreatic ß-cells than an isoglycemic iv infusion, has stimulated
considerable interest in the identity of gut-derived molecules that
enhance insulin secretion. The term incretin has been ascribed to
factors released from the gut in response to nutrient ingestion that
potentiate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (1). To
date, the two principal peptides that exhibit incretin-like activity
are glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and
glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Together these two
peptides are thought to account for most, if not all, of the incretin
effect (2, 3, 4).
GIP is a 42-amino acid peptide that is synthesized in intestinal K
cells in the proximal jejunum and secreted primarily in response to the
ingestion of glucose or fat (3, 4). In contrast,
GLP-1 is a posttranslational product of the proglucagon
gene (5) and is released from more distally located
intestinal L cells in response to ingestion of glucose or a mixed meal
(4, 6, 7, 8). Under conditions of elevated blood glucose
concentrations, both GIP and GLP-1 stimulate insulin
secretion and proinsulin gene transcription via specific receptors
expressed on islet ß-cells (9, 10, 11).
The principle action of GIP seems to be the stimulation of
glucose-dependent insulin secretion after enteral nutrient ingestion.
Consistent with this hypothesis, GIP immunoneutralizing antisera or
a GIP peptide antagonist reduced insulin secretion after oral glucose
challenge in rats (12, 13). The biological importance of
GIP as an incretin is further illustrated by GIP receptor -/- mice
that exhibit defective glucose clearance after oral glucose loading;
but normal fasting glucose and glycemic excursion, after ip glucose
challenge (14). In contrast, GLP-1R-/- mice exhibit
fasting hyperglycemia and abnormal glycemic excursion in response to
both oral and ip glucose challenge (15).
Although results of studies in knockout mice may be used to infer
specific physiological actions of GIP and GLP-1 for
control of glucose homeostasis, disruption of incretin receptor
signaling from birth may be associated with subtle developmental and
adaptive changes that could modify the interpretation of physiological
studies. For example, GLP-1R-/- mice exhibit abnormalities in the
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (16) and
up-regulation of glucose-dependent GIP secretion and enhanced
sensitivity to GIP action (17), complicating the
interpretation of results ascribed simply to interruption of GLP-1R
signaling in vivo. Accordingly, to control for potential
confounding developmental or adaptive changes in incretin action
observed in genetically modified mice, we have assessed the importance
of GIP and GLP-1 for glycemic control in +/+ and
GLP-1R-/- mice using antagonists of GLP-1 and GIP action
in vivo.
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Materials and Methods
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Animals
GLP-1 receptor -/- (15) and
age-matched (6- to 8-week-old males) wild-type CD1 mice (Charles River Laboratories, Inc., Montréal, Québec, Canada)
were housed under a 12-h light, 12-h dark cycle in the Toronto General
Hospital Animal facility, with free access to food (standard rodent
chow) and water, except where noted. All +/+ mice used for these
studies were acclimatized to the animal facility for several weeks
before analysis. All procedures were conducted according to protocols
and guidelines approved by the Toronto General Hospital Animal Care
Committee.
Glucose tolerance tests and measurement of plasma insulin
levels
Oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) or ip glucose tolerance
tests (IPGTTs) were carried out after an overnight fast (1618 h). The
GLP-1 receptor antagonist
exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)-NH2 (5 µg; California Peptide
Research Inc., Napa, CA) or PBS was administered ip 20 min before
glucose administration, after a fasting blood glucose measurement had
been obtained. Anti-GIP R antiserum was raised in rabbits against a
synthetic peptide containing an extracellular epitope of the GIP
receptor GQTTGELYQRWERYGWEC coupled to KLH. Immunopurified antibody
(GIPR Ab) specifically displaces 125I-GIP binding
with half-maximal displacement at approximately 1 µg/ml (data not
shown). In the rat, plasma levels of GIPR Ab peak approximately 4
h after ip injection and remain at this level for 2 days. When
delivered at a dose of 1 µg/g body weight, the insulinotropic action
of an exogenous bolus of GIP is completely abolished (data not shown).
Immunopurified antisera [1 µg/g body weight; GIPR Ab
(18)] or a rabbit
-globulin control (1 µg/g body
weight; Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories, Inc., West
Grove, PA) was given ip at the onset of fasting, 1618 h before the
glucose tolerance tests. For glucose tolerance tests, mice were given
1.5 mg glucose/g body weight orally through a gavage tube (OGTT) or via
injection into the peritoneal cavity (IPGTT). Blood was drawn from a
tail vein at 0, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after glucose
administration; and blood glucose levels were measured by the glucose
oxidase method using a One Touch Basic Glucometer (Lifescan Ltd.,
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada). Blood samples (100 µl) for
measurement of insulin secretion were removed from tail veins during
the 10- to 20-min time period after oral or ip glucose administration.
Plasma was assayed for insulin content using a rat insulin
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (Crystal Chem Inc.,
Chicago, IL) with mouse insulin as a standard.
Chronic exposure to incretin antagonists
For chronic studies, all mice were given free access to standard
rodent chow and water. Wild-type CD1 and GLP-1 receptor
-/- mice were given ip injections of either PBS or 5 µg of
exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) in 8% gelatin. Injections were commenced at 0500
h, and each animal was given an ip injection of the appropriate test
substance every 4 h, with the last injection given 3 h before
death, for a total of 15 h of treatment. Blood glucose levels were
measured, animals were killed, and blood was obtained by cardiac
puncture. Plasma was collected for analysis of insulin levels (as
described above). The pancreas was removed from each animal. One
portion was used for RNA isolation and Northern blot analysis.
The remaining portion of the pancreas was homogenized twice in 5 ml of
extraction medium [1 N HCl containing 5% (vol/vol) formic
acid, 1% (vol/vol) trifluoroacetic acid, and 1% (wt/vol) NaCl] at 4
C. Peptides and small proteins were adsorbed from extracts by passage
through a C18 silica cartridge (Waters Associates,
Milford, MA). Adsorbed peptides were eluted with 4 ml of 80% (vol/vol)
isopropanol containing 0.1% (vol/vol) trifluoroacetic acid. Pancreatic
insulin levels were measured using a rat insulin enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay kit (Crystal Chem Inc.), with mouse insulin
as a standard. Total protein levels in extracts were determined using
the Bradford method (19) with dye reagent (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Hercules, CA). For chronic studies with GIPR
Ab, wild-type CD1 and GLP-1 receptor -/- mice were given
ip injections of either rabbit
-globulin or 1 µg/g body weight of
purified GIPR Ab. Only a single injection of GIPR Ab was required,
because the antibody is stable in plasma for several days (18). At
18 h after administration of GIPR Ab or
-globulin control, mice
were anesthetized with CO2 and exsanguinated by
cardiac puncture. Blood glucose, plasma insulin, and pancreatic insulin
content were determined as described above.
RNA isolation and Northern blot analysis
After chronic exposure to PBS, exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39), rabbit
-globulin, or GIPR Ab, mice were anesthetized with
CO2, and pancreases were removed immediately for
RNA extraction by the acid-guanidinium isothiocyanate method
(20). Total RNA (10 µg) was electrophoresed in a 1%
(wt/vol) formaldehyde-agarose gel and transferred to a nylon membrane
(Nytran Plus; Schleicher & Schuell, Inc., Keene, NH). For
Northern blot analysis, the blot was hybridized to
32P-labeled random-primed complementary
DNA probes corresponding to rat proglucagon, rat insulin, or 18S
rRNA.
Statistics
Results are expressed as means ± SEM.
Statistical significance was calculated by ANOVA and
Students t test using INSTAT 1.12 (GraphPad Software, Inc., San Diego, CA). A P value <
0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
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Results
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Effects of exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)NH2 on blood glucose
and plasma insulin
To assess the effects of acute blockade of GLP-1R signaling
in vivo, we used the GLP-1
receptor antagonist exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)-NH2, a
truncated lizard GLP-1-related peptide that binds to and
antagonizes mammalian GLP-1 receptors (21).
Treatment of wild-type mice with exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) immediately before oral
glucose challenge produced a significant increase in blood glucose
excursion during the 10- to 30-min time period after glucose
administration [Fig. 1A
;
P < 0.05 for saline vs.
exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)-treated mice]. Surprisingly, plasma insulin levels were
not significantly different, after oral glucose loading, in saline
vs. exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)-treated mice (Fig. 1B
).
Because GLP-1R-/- mice exhibit abnormal glycemic excursion after both
oral and ip glucose challenge, these findings suggest that
GLP-1-mediated signaling events are important for ß-cell
function and glucose disposal independent of the site of glucose entry
(15). Consistent with the importance of nonincretin
actions of GLP-1 for glucoregulation, exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
significantly increased glucose excursion after ip glucose challenge
(P < 0.05, saline vs.
exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)-treated mice, from 30120 min; Fig. 2A
). Furthermore, the levels of
glucose-stimulated circulating insulin were significantly reduced in
exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)-treated mice (Fig. 2B
; P < 0.05;
0.58 ± 0.02 vs. 0.47 ± 0.02 ng/ml in
saline-vs. exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)-treated mice, respectively).
Although exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) is generally viewed as a specific
GLP-1 receptor antagonist, several reports suggest that
exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) may also bind to the GIP receptor and potentially
antagonize the actions of GIP (22, 23). To verify that
exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) is a specific antagonist of murine GLP-1
receptor signaling in vivo, we assessed the effect of
exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) on glycemic excursion in mice with a targeted disruption
of the gene encoding the GLP-1 receptor (15).
Treatment of GLP-1R-/- mice with exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) had no effect on
glycemic excursion after oral or ip glucose loading (Fig. 3
, A and B), demonstrating the
specificity of exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) for GLP-1R receptor-mediated glucose
clearance at the dose employed here in vivo.
To ascertain the contribution of GIP action to glucose disposal after
glucose loading in mice, we used immunoneutralizing antisera directed
against the GIP receptor (GIPR Ab). Administration of GIPR Ab to +/+
mice before oral glucose challenge led to no change in fasting glucose,
but a significant increase in blood glucose was detected at the 10-min
time point of an OGTT (Fig. 4A
; 13.1
± 0.6 vs. 10.8 ±0.5 mM in GIPR
Ab-treated vs. control +/+ mice, respectively,
P < 0.05). The increase in blood glucose was
associated with a small but nonsignificant increase in plasma insulin
(Fig. 4B
). In contrast, treatment of GLP-1R-/- mice with GIPR Ab
produced a significant increase in blood glucose (Fig. 5A
; 10.4 ± 0.8 vs.
8.3 ± 0.5 mM in GIPR Ab vs.
control-treated mice, P < 0.05) and a significant reduction in
levels of glucose-stimulated insulin (Fig. 5B
, P <
0.05; 0.31 ± 0.03 vs. 0.46 ± 0.05 ng/ml for mice
receiving GIPR Ab vs. rabbit
-globulin,
respectively).
In contrast to the significant increase in blood glucose observed after
ip glucose loading and treatment with exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39), administration of
GIPR Ab had no effect on glucose clearance or plasma insulin after ip
glucose loading in +/+ or GLP-1R-/- mice (data not shown).
The results of these experiments demonstrated that acute antagonism of
GLP-1 or GIP action produces differential effects on
glycemic excursion after oral vs. ip glucose loading.
Because both GLP-1 and GIP have been postulated to
regulate glycemia, in part through effects on insulin biosynthesis at
the level of insulin gene transcription (9, 10, 11), we
examined the effects of administering either exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) or GIPR Ab
on glucose control, over a more prolonged 18-h time period. Repeated
administration of exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) to +/+ mice produced a significant
elevation in blood glucose (Fig. 6A
, P < 0.05; 7.1 ± 0.4 vs. 8.8 ±
0.4 mM for saline vs.
exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)-treated mice) and a significant reduction in the levels
of plasma insulin (Fig. 6B
, P < 0.05; 2.4 ± 0.1
vs. 1.7 ± 0.2 ng/ml for saline vs.
exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)-treated mice). Comparable treatment of GLP-1R-/- mice
with repeated injections of exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) had no effect on either
blood glucose or plasma insulin (Fig. 6
, C and D). In contrast to
changes in glucose and insulin in mice treated with repeated
administration of exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39), no significant perturbation of blood
glucose or plasma insulin levels was observed in +/+ or GLP-1R-/-
mice, 18 h after administration of GIPR Ab (Fig. 7
, AD)

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Figure 6. Blood glucose and plasma insulin levels in
wild-type +/+ and GLP-1 R-/- mice treated chronically
with saline or exendin(9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 ). A, Blood glucose level in +/+ males
treated with saline (open bar) or exendin (939;
solid bar). Values are expressed as means ±
SEM; n = 89 mice/group; *, P < 0.05
vs. control (saline). B, Plasma insulin concentration in
+/+ males treated with saline (open bar) or exendin
(939; solid bar); *, P < 0.05
vs. control (saline). C, Blood glucose level in
GLP-1 R-/- males treated with saline (open
bars) or exendin (939; solid bars). Values are
expressed as means ± SEM; n = 4 mice/group. D,
Plasma insulin concentration in -/- males treated with saline
(open bars) or exendin (939; solid
bar). Mice treated with repeated injections were analyzed in
the nonfasting state, as described in Materials and
Methods.
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Despite the postulated importance of GLP-1R signaling for insulin gene
transcription, no significant alterations in the levels of insulin (or
proglucagon) messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts (Fig. 9
, A and C) or pancreatic insulin content
(Fig. 8
) were detected, after repeated
treatment with exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39), in either +/+ or GLP-1R-/- mice.
Similarly, no significant changes in the levels of proinsulin RNA or
insulin content were detected in the pancreas of mice treated with GIPR
Ab (Figs. 9
, B and C; and 8B).

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Figure 9. Northern blot analysis of pancreatic insulin and
glucagon mRNA transcripts in +/+ and GLP-1R-/- mice treated with
exendin(9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 ) [Ex 939(A)] or GIPR Ab (B). Relative mRNA levels (C)
for insulin or glucagon and 18S rRNA. Values are expressed as
means ± SEM (all densitometry was quantified using
the Molecular Dynamics, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, PhosphorImager
and ImageQuant). WT, Wild-type; KO, knockout.
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Discussion
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Although originally identified as an incretin, GLP-1
has subsequently been shown to exhibit multiple nonincretin actions,
including inhibition of glucagon secretion (24, 25) and
gastric emptying (26, 27). GLP-1 also confers
glucose sensitivity to glucose-resistant ß-cells (28)
and may also increase insulin-independent glucose disposal in
peripheral tissues (29). Taken together with effects on
reduction in food intake (30, 31), it seems that
GLP-1 exerts both incretin and nonincretin mediated
actions that contribute to glucose-lowering in vivo.
The importance of nonincretin effects of GLP-1 are further
exemplified by experiments in mice with genetic disruption of GLP-1R
signaling. Consistent with the concept of GLP-1
functioning as an incretin, GLP-1R-/- mice exhibit defective
glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and increased glycemic excursion
after oral glucose challenge, even if only one GLP-1
receptor allele is disrupted (15, 32). Studies of islet
function demonstrate defects in basal islet cAMP and glucose-stimulated
calcium signaling in GLP-1 R-/- islets
(33). The importance of basal GLP-1R signaling for
ß-cell function may partly explain why GLP-1R-/- mice also exhibit
mild fasting hyperglycemia and abnormal glucose excursion after ip
glucose challenge (15), conditions that would not be
associated with increases in levels of circulating GLP-1.
Although the phenotype of impaired glucose tolerance in GLP-1R-/-
mice can be mild and variable, analysis of large numbers of knockout
mice of different ages demonstrates statistically significant
impairment of glucose homeostasis in the fasting state and after oral
and ip glucose challenge (15, 32, 34).
Interpretation of the modest impairment of glucose tolerance after
genetic GLP-1R disruption is complicated by the observation that GIP
secretion and GIP-stimulated insulin secretion are up-regulated in
GLP-1R-/- mice, suggesting that compensatory enhancement of GIP
action partially modifies the phenotype of GLP-1
deficiency in vivo (17). Furthermore, it
remains possible that potential developmental effects of GLP-1R
deficiency might also modify islet and ß-cell development and
responsivity, hence the abnormalities in ß-cell function and
glucoregulation detected in GLP-1R-/- mice may not necessarily be
directly correlated with acute disruption of GLP-1 action
in vivo.
Accordingly, to eliminate confounding variables introduced by the
potential contribution of developmental and adaptive changes in
physiological regulatory systems, we reexamined the importance of
GLP-1 and GIP action for both incretin and
nonincretin-mediated control of glycemia in wild-type mice. Our data
clearly show that inhibition of GLP-1 activity during ip
glucose challenge produces abnormal glycemic excursion in +/+ mice,
associated with a significant reduction in plasma insulin. Because
nonenteral glucose challenge would not be expected to stimulate
GLP-1 secretion, our findings strongly suggest that basal
levels of circulating GLP-1 are essential for glycemic
control, both in the fasting state and after glucose challenge,
independent of the mode of glucose entry.
Further evidence supporting the importance of basal GLP-1
signaling for glucoregulation derives from studies using exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
in both humans and baboons. Administration of exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) produced
significant elevations in fasting levels of both glucose and glucagon,
suggesting that even basal GLP-1 signaling during the
fasting state exerts a tonic inhibitory effect on glucagon secretion
(35, 36, 37). The finding that glucagon secretion is under
tonic inhibitory control by GLP-1 signaling is consistent
with our observation that glucose levels rise in exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)-treated
mice, without an obligatory increase in the levels of circulating
insulin. Additional evidence for the importance of basal
GLP-1 signaling derives from studies demonstrating that
exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) is an inverse agonist of the ß-cell GLP-1
receptor and that constitutive activity of the GLP-1
receptor, even in the absence of bound ligand, is important for
maintaining basal levels of cAMP and for sustaining pancreatic
ß-cells in a glucose-competent state (33, 38).
In contrast to the importance of GLP-1 for glucose
regulation and ß-cell function in the fasting state, our current data
strongly suggest that the role of GIP in glucose control is
considerably more restricted, principally functioning as an incretin in
the postabsorptive state. Disruption of GIP action during oral glucose
challenge produced a significant increase in glycemic excursion in both
+/+ and GLP-1R-/- mice, in association with a diminution of
glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. In contrast, administration of
GIPR Ab did not effect fasting glucose or glycemic excursion after ip
glucose loading, even in mice with loss of GLP-1
function.
Although the incretin function of GIP is well established (3, 4, 12), a role for GIP in the control of ß-cell function in the
fasting state is less clearly defined. Infusion of GIP produced a
dose-dependent increase in plasma insulin, in fasted rats, that was
attenuated by coinfusion of a GIP peptide antagonist (39).
Although the GIP peptide antagonist ANTGIP diminished
glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in rats, the effect of ANTGIP on
blood glucose or insulin secretion, in the fasting state or after ip
glucose challenge, was not reported (13). Although we
cannot be absolutely certain that the limitations of the
immunoneutralizing GIPR Ab may affect our experimental results, the
finding that GIP is primarily important for glucose clearance, after
enteral (but not ip) glucose loading, is consistent with data from GIP
receptor -/- mice. These mice exhibit normal fasting glucose, and the
glycemic response to ip glucose challenge is comparable and normal in
the presence or absence of GIP receptor signaling (14).
These findings are entirely consistent with our data showing no effect
of GIPR Ab on fasting glucose or ip glucose clearance in mice in
vivo. Taken together, the cumulative evidence strongly suggests
that the glucoregulatory actions of GIP on the ß-cell are restricted
to the potentiation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion after
enteral nutrient absorption.
The results of several studies have suggested an important role for
GLP-1 in the regulation of insulin gene expression and
insulin biosynthesis. Incubation of islet cell lines, with
GLP-1 or exendin-4, increases proinsulin mRNA via
activation of insulin gene transcription (9, 10).
Similarly, GIP increases insulin mRNA and insulin content in islet
cells, via induction of insulin promoter activity and insulin gene
expression (11, 40). Despite the putative importance of
GLP-1 and GIP for insulin gene expression and insulin
biosynthesis, we did not detect changes in pancreatic insulin content
or insulin RNA in +/+ mice treated with either exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) or GIPR
Ab. Furthermore, we found minimal to no changes in pancreatic insulin
mRNA and insulin content in GLP-1R-/- mice (17, 32, 41).
These findings, taken together with our data using exendin(9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) or
GIPR Ab, strongly suggest that GLP-1 and GIP are not
essential for insulin gene expression and insulin biosynthesis in mice
in vivo.
In summary, our studies demonstrate that GLP-1 is
essential for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in mice, independent
of the mode of glucose entry. Although several investigators have
suggested that the predominant effect of GLP-1 on glucose
control resides at the level of gastric emptying (42, 43),
our data clearly indicate an essential role for GLP-1 in
glucoregulation independent of nutrient entry via the gastrointestinal
tract. In contrast, GIP plays a more restricted role in glucose
homeostasis, with GIP actions restricted to the classical incretin
function of potentiating nutrient-stimulated insulin secretion. The
wider spectrum of GLP-1 actions on gastric emptying,
ß-cell function, glucagon secretion, food intake, and islet growth
suggest that GLP-1 is likely to exhibit more potential,
compared with GIP, as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of
diabetes.
 |
Acknowledgments
|
|---|
We thank J. F. Habener for his generous gift of GIPR Ab for
these experiments.
 |
Footnotes
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1 This work was supported, in part, by operating grants from the
Canadian Diabetes Association (to D.J.D. and T.J.K.) and Juvenile
Diabetes Foundation International (to D.J.D.). 
2 Supported by a doctoral research award from the Medical Research
Council of Canada. 
3 A CDA and Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research
Scholar. 
4 A Senior Scientist of the Medical Research Council of Canada. 
Received May 4, 2000.
 |
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