Glucose competence of the hepatoportal vein sensor requires the presence of an activated glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor

Activation of the hepatoportal glucose sensors by portal glucose infusion l eads to increased glucose clearance and induction of hypoglycemia. Here, we investigated whether glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) could modalate the ac tivity of these sensors. Alice were therefore infused with saline (S-mice) or glucose (P-mice) through the portal vein at a rate of 25 mg/kg (.) min. In P-mice, glucose clearance increased to 67.5 +/- 3.7 mg/ kg (.) min as co mpared with 24.1 +/- 1.5 mg/kg (.) min in S-mice, and glycemia decreased fr om 5.0 +/- 0.1 to 3.3 +/- 0.1 mmol/l at the end of the 3-h infusion period. Coinfusion of GLP-1 with glucose into the portal vein at a rate of 5 pmol/ kg (.) min (P-GLP-1 mice) did not increase the glucose clearance rate (57.4 +/- 5.0 ml/kg (.) min) and hypoglycemia (3.8 +/- 0.1 mmol/l) observed in P -mice. In contrast, coinfusion of glucose and the GLP-1 receptor antagonist exendin-(9-39) into the portal vein at a rate of 0.5 pmol/kg (.) min (P-Ex mice) reduced glucose clearance, to 36.1 +/- 2.6 ml/kg (.) min and transie ntly increased glycemia to 9.2 +/- 0.3 mmol/l at 60 min of infusion before it returned to the fasting level (5.6 +/- 0.3 mol/l) at 3 h. When glucose a nd exendin-(9-39) were infused through the portal and femoral veins, respec tively, glucose clearance increased to 70.0 +/- 4.6 ml/kg (.) min and glyce mia decreased to 3.1 +/- 0.1 mmol/l, indicating that exendin-(9-39) has an effect only when infused into the portal vein. Finally, portal vein infusio n of glucose in GLP-1 receptors(-/-) mice failed to increase the glucose cl earance rate (26.7 +/- 2.9 ml/kg (.) min). Glycemia increased to 8.5 +/- 0. 5 mmol/l at 60 min and remained elevated until the end of the glucose infus ion (8.2 +/- 0.4 mmol/l). Together, our data show that the GLP-1 receptor i s part of the hepatoportal glucose sensor and that basal fasting levels of GLP-1 sufficiently activate the receptor to confer maximum glucose competen ce to the sensor. These data demonstrate an important extrapancreatic effec t of GLP-1 in the control of glucose homeostasis.