Following a meal, gut-produced incretin hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) are released into the circulation. GLP-1 and GIP, the two dominant incretin hormones, are part of a natural endogenous system involved in maintaining glucose homeostasis. In the presence of normal or elevated, but not low, glucose concentration, both GLP-1 and GIP increase insulin secretion from pancreatic islet beta-cells (β-cells). GLP-1 also lowers glucagon secretion from pancreatic alpha-cells and delays nutrient delivery from the stomach by inhibiting gastric emptying. This rise in insulin concentration enhances glucose clearance in peripheral tissues such as muscle, and the lower glucagon concentration combined with the rise in insulin reduces hepatic glucose production. By enhancing glucose clearance and lowering hepatic glucose production, the post-meal glucose excursion is reduced.~However, the role that each incretin has in glucoregulation is not fully understood. Use of a GLP-1 antagonist, exendin (9-39)NH2, will allow for the assessment of non-GLP-1 incretin's role in glucoregulation. Therefore, it is of great interest to examine the role that specific incretins have in glucoregulation in patients with T2DM.~Exendin(9-39) has been shown a specific and reversible antagonist at the human GLP-1 receptor in vivo. In initial validation studies intravenous exendin(9-39) dose-dependently reduced the insulinotropic action of intravenous GLP-1. The maximal dose of 300 pmol/kg/min used in these studies was sufficient to reduce GLP-1 stimulated insulin plasma levels by about 83%. However, to quantify the contribution of incretin hormones to the incretin effect as stated above a nearly complete inhibition of the GLP-1 action is necessary.~Therefore the purpose of this pilot study is to characterize the dose-response characteristics of exendin(9-39) more completely and to find a dosage which inhibits the insulinotropic action of GLP-1 by at least 95%.
The purpose of this study is to determine the dose of the GLP-1 receptor antagonist exendin(9-39) which blocks the insulinotropic action of synthetic GLP-1 by at least 95%.