Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a potent and efficient stimulator of adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation in a human colon carcinoma cell line, HT 29. cAMP accumulation is sensitive to a concentration of VIP as low as 3 X 10-12 M. Maximum VIP-induced cAMP levels were observed with 10-9 M VIP and are about 200 times above the basal levels. Half-maximum cAMP production was obtained at 3 X 10-1°M VIP. 125I-Labeled VIP was found to bind to HT 29 cells; this binding was competitively inhibited by concentrations of unlabeled VIP between 10-10 and 10-7 M. Half-maximum inhibition of binding was observed with 2 X 10-9 M VIP. For experimental studies, 3-4 X 106 cells were transfered into 150-cm2 flasks in 30 ml of culture medium. The medium was changed on day 4, and 3 days later, cells were collected with the buffer described above, without trypsin. Under such conditions, the cells were in exponential growth phase. The average yield was 30 X 106 cells per flask. The cells were washed three times in Krebs-Ringer phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, containing 2%

We have characterized, by RT-PCR amplification using specific primers, the presence of glucagon-like peptide-I (GLP-I) receptor mRNA in CA-77 cells, a C cell line derived from a rat medullary thyroid carcinoma. Down-regulation of the GLP-1 receptor mRNA was observed after exposure of CA-77 C cells with GLP-1 (7-37). Increased secretion of both calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and calcitonin (CT) occurred after treatment with GLP-1 (7-37) associated with elevated steadystate levels of CGRP and CT mRNA. GLP-1 (7-37) increased cAMP formation in CA-77 cells in a dose-dependent manner; exendin (9-39), a GLP-1 receptor antagonist, inhibited cAMP production. The GLP-1 peptide which is produced by intestinal cells could be involved in the control of CT secretion through an entero-thyroidal axis implying GLP-1 receptor and increased CT gene expression.