Activation of the glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) are new antidiabetic strategies. The GLP-1R and DPP-4 are also expressed in the renal proximal tubular brush border, where they may regulate Na ϩ reabsorption. Exendin-4 (EX4) is a naturally occurring antidiabetic polypeptide (from the saliva of the lizard Heloderma suspectum) and GLP-1R agonist; however, part of its nonglucoregulatory effects are through GLP-1R-independent mechanisms. DPP-4 cleaves and inactivates GLP-1; thus the natriuretic effect of DPP-4 inhibition may be mediated by the GLP-1R. We report that parenteral application of EX4 in wild-type mice induced a diuresis and natriuresis associated with increases in glomerular filtration rate, fractional urinary fluid and Na ϩ excretion, and renal membrane expression of the Na ϩ /H ϩ exchanger NHE3 phosphorylated at S552 and S605, established consensus sites for cAMP-dependent PKA. These effects were absent in mice lacking the GLP-1R and independent of adenylyl cyclase 6. In comparison, parenteral application of the DPP-4 inhibitor alogliptin reduced plasma DPP-4 activity by 95% and induced a diuresis and natriuresis independent of the presence of the GLP-1R or changes in phosphorylated NHE3. The inhibitory effect on renal fluid and Na ϩ reabsorption of EX4, but not alogliptin, was preserved in diabetic db/db mice and associated with a modest reduction in blood pressure. These results reveal mechanistic differences in how EX4 vs. DPP-4 inhibition induces diuresis and natriuresis under normal states, with preservation of GLP-1R-mediated, but not DPP-4 inhibitor-dependent, natriuretic mechanisms in a mouse model of obese type 2 diabetes.glucagon-like peptide-1; dipeptidyl peptidase-4; NHE3; cAMP; proximal tubule GLUCAGON-LIKE PEPTIDE -1 (GLP-1), an incretin hormone secreted from enteroendocrine L cells in the intestine, stimulates glucose-dependent insulin release and may promote preservation of beta-cell function in patients with type 2 diabetes (9, 10). As a consequence, GLP-1 has been a principal focus of clinical and basic diabetes research in recent years. After secretion, active GLP-1 is rapidly cleaved by the widely expressed enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4, CD26), such that the half-life of bioactive GLP-1 is Ͻ3 min. Therefore, therapeutic manipulation of the GLP-1 system includes strategies that inhibit the degradation of GLP-1 by DPP-4 (i.e., DPP-4 inhibitors) or degradation-resistant GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists with a longer half-life, such as exendin-4 (EX4) or liraglutide.In addition to its metabolic effects, GLP-1 affects kidney function. Analysis of GLP-1R expression in rats (6), pigs, and humans (34) localized the GLP-1R to the brush border microvilli of proximal tubules. Intravenous infusion of GLP-1 increased glomerular filtration rate (GFR), inhibited proximal tubular reabsorption, and increased urine flow and Na ϩ excretion in rats (6, 30). In healthy subjects, infusion of GLP-1 evoked a dose-dependent increase in...