Pancreatic and extrapancreatic effects of GLP-1.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), an incretin hormone which helps to regulate plasma glucose levels, is considered a potential agent for the treatment of type-2 diabetes mellitus, because of its insulinotropic capacity and insulinomimetic actions. In normal conditions, the beta-cell secretory response to GLP-1 is modulated by the extracellular concentration of D-glucose; however, the recognition of D-glucose by the beta-cell is often impaired in type-2 diabetes, and this could impede the full GLP-1 insulinotropic action. Non-glucidic substrates, such as the dimethyl ester of succinic acid, restore the effect of GLP-1 in the isolated perfused rat pancreas of normal or diabetic rats, in the absence of any other exogenous nutrient; likewise, the dimethyl ester of succinic or L-glutamic acid, and the monomethyl ester of pyruvic acid, potentiate the in vivo beta-cell secretory response to GLP-1 in normal and diabetic rats. Therefore, it was proposed that nutrients susceptible to bypass the site-specific defects of the diabetic beta-cell, could be used to potentiate and/or prolong the insulinotropic action of antidiabetic agents such as GLP-1. In vitro, GLP-1 insulin-like effects on glucose metabolism have been documented in normal and diabetic rat liver, and in rat and human skeletal muscle. In rat and human adipocytes, GLP-1 is lipolytic and/or lipogenic, and also stimulates parameters involved in the glucose metabolism. In liver, muscle and fat, GLP-1 seems to act through specific receptors, apparently different--at least in liver and muscle--in structure or signaling pathway from the pancreatic one. It is proposed that an inositolphosphoglycan might be a second messenger of GLP-1 action in extrapancreatic tissues.