No correlation between insulin and islet amyloid polypeptide after stimulation with glucagon-like peptide-1 in type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVES

To examine whether glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which has been suggested as a new therapeutic agent in type 2 diabetes, affects circulating islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), a B-cell peptide of potential importance for diabetes pathophysiology.

DESIGN

GLP-1 was administered in a buccal tablet (400 micrograms) to seven healthy subjects and nine subjects with type 2 diabetes. Serum IAPP and insulin levels were measured before and after GLP-1 administration.

RESULTS

In the fasting state, serum IAPP was 4.1 +/- 0.3 pmol/l in the controls vs 9.8 +/- 0.9 pmol/l in the subjects with type 2 diabetes (P < 0.001). IAPP correlated with insulin only in controls (r = 0.74, P = 0.002) but not in type 2 diabetes (r = 0.26, NS). At 15 min after GLP-1, circulating IAPP increased to (6.0 +/- 0.5 pmol/l in controls P = 0.009) and to 13.8 +/- 1.2 pmol/l in type 2 diabetes (P = 0.021). In both groups, serum insulin increased and blood glucose decreased compared with placebo. In controls serum IAPP increased in parallel with insulin (r = 0.79, P = 0.032), whereas in type 2 diabetes the increase in IAPP did not correlate with the increase in insulin.

CONCLUSION

Type 2 diabetes is associated with elevated circulating IAPP; GLP-1stimulates IAPP secretion both in healthy human subjects and in type 2 diabetes; IAPP secretion correlates with insulin secretion only in healthy subjects and not in type 2 diabetes.