Summary. Although glucagon-like peptide-1 has the appearance of a glucagon-homologue that may be co-secreted with glucagon, synthetic glucagon-like peptide-l-(1-37) does not significantly affect plasma glucose and insulin concentrations when administered at high doses (100 and 400 ~tg) to cortisone-pretreated rabbits. This synthetic preparation thus lacks the primary metabolic effect of glucagon at the doses tested. An intra-or extra-pancreatic role of glucagon-like peptide-1 has yet to be discovered.
Key words:Glucagon-like peptide-1, glucose, insulin, glucagon, bioassay.The nucleotide sequences of cDNA derived from hamster [1] and ox [2] glucagon mRNA and the human preproglucagon gene [3] show that pre-proglucagon contains two further glucagon-like peptides (GLP-1 and -2) C-terminal to the glucagon sequence. The amino-acid sequence of GLP-1 is completely conserved between the three mammalian species studied and shows a high degree of homology with similar deduced amino-acid sequences in angler-fish pre-proglucagons [4]. It is defined by delimiting pairs of basic amino-acid residues, that form potential cleavage points. GLP-1 thus has the appearance of a highly conserved biologically active peptide that may be co-secreted with glucagon, and it is possible that it has a modulating role in carbohydrate metabolism. In the first instance we have tested synthetic GLP-1 for its effect on plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in rabbits.
Material and methodsSynthetic GLP-l-(1-37) was synthesized by a solid phase method [5] (Bachem, Torrance, CA, USA). It was tested for its effect on plasma glucose and insulin by a modification of the twin cross-over bioassay for glucagon [6], using crystalline glucagon (Novo Industri, Copenhagen, Denmark) as a standard. Twelve rabbits were injected (25 mg subcutaneously) on day 0 with cortisone acetate injection (British Pharmacopoeia; Cortistab, The Boots Company, Nottingham, UK). The assay was performed on days 2 and 3, the rabbits being deprived of food for 18 h before each part of the assay, but with free access to water. The peptides were dissolved immediately before each experiment in 1.6% (vol/vol) aqueous glycerine containing 0.2% (wt/vol) phenol, adjusted to pH 3 with HC1.The rabbits were randomized into four groups of three each, and they received a subcutaneous injection of 1 ml of diluent, as a control, followed after 60 min by either GLP-1 (400 gg or 100 gg) or glucagon (24 .ag or 6 ~xg) in the same volume. Blood samples (0.3 ml) were taken from a marginal ear vein at times -40, 0, 20 and 60 rain in relation to both the diluent and peptide injections. The next day, the experiment was repeated with a twin cross-over, so that rabbits that had received the higher dose of glucagon now received the lower dose of GLP-1. The blood samples were collected into fluoride-oxalate centrifuge tubes, containing dried aprotinin (200 Kallikrein Inhibitor Units; Trasylol, Bayer, Wuppertal, FRG), and centrifuged immediately at 1600 g for 10 min. The plasma was frozen on solid CO2 and st...