Cellular Sites and Mechanisms Linking Reduction of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Activity to Control of Incretin Hormone Action and Glucose Homeostasis.

Pharmacological inhibition of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) enzyme potentiates incretin action and is widely used to treat type 2 diabetes. Nevertheless, the precise cells and tissues critical for incretin degradation and glucose homeostasis remain unknown. Here, we use mouse genetics and pharmacologic DPP4 inhibition to identify DPP4 cell types essential for incretin action. Although enterocyte DPP4 accounted for substantial intestinal DPP4 activity, ablation of enterocyte DPP4 in Dpp4 mice did not produce alterations in plasma DPP4 activity, incretin hormone levels, and glucose tolerance. In contrast, endothelial cell (EC)-derived DPP4 contributed substantially to levels of soluble plasma DPP4 activity, incretin degradation, and glucose control. Surprisingly, DPP4 cells of bone marrow origin mediated the selective degradation of fasting GIP, but not GLP-1. Collectively, these findings identify distinct roles for DPP4 in the EC versus the bone marrow compartment for selective incretin degradation and DPP4i-mediated glucoregulation.