Exendin-4, but not glucagon-like peptide-1, is cleared exclusively by glomerular filtration in anaesthetised pigs

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Abstract

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The insulinotropic hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), is rapidly degraded in vivo as a result of the combination of extensive enzymatic degradation and renal extraction. The GLP-1 receptor agonist, exendin-4, has a longer duration of action, and has recently been approved as a new agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Exendin-4 is less prone to enzymatic degradation, but it is still unclear what other factors contribute to the increased metabolic stability.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The overall metabolism of GLP-1 and exendin-4 was directly compared in anaesthetised pigs (n=9).

RESULTS: Metabolism of GLP-1 (C-terminal RIA; t (1/2) 2.0+/-0.2 min, metabolic clearance rate [MCR] 23.2+/-2.8 ml min(-1) kg(-1); N-terminal RIA; t (1/2) 1.5+/-0.2 min, MCR 88.1+/-10.6 ml min(-1) kg(-1)) was significantly faster than the metabolism of exendin-4 (t (1/2) 22.0+/-2.1 min, p<0.0001; MCR 1.7+/-0.3 ml min(-1) kg(-1), p<0.01). Differences in arteriovenous concentrations revealed organ extraction of GLP-1 by the kidneys (C-terminal 56.6+/-2.6%; N-terminal 48.3+/-5.9%), liver (N-terminal 41.4+/-3.8%), and peripheral tissues (C-terminal 42.3+/-6.0%; N-terminal 33.0+/-7.8%), whereas organ extraction of exendin-4 was limited to the kidneys (21.3+/-4.9%). While the renal extraction of exendin-4 (6.9+/-2.5 pmol/min) did not differ significantly from the amount undergoing glomerular filtration (8.4+/-2.0 pmol/min), the renal extraction of C-terminal GLP-1 (9.0+/-1.1 pmol/min), exceeded the amount which could be accounted for by glomerular filtration (4.2+/-0.5 pmol/min, p<0.0005).

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: In addition to an increased resistance to enzymatic degradation, the increased stability of exendin-4 is the result of reduced differential organ extraction compared to GLP-1. The data suggest that in the anaesthetised pig, extraction occurs only in the kidney and can be fully accounted for by glomerular filtration.

Original languageEnglish
JournalDiabetologia
Volume49
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)706-12
Number of pages7
ISSN0012-186X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2006

Keywords

  • Anesthesia
  • Animals
  • Female
  • Glomerular Mesangium
  • Glucagon-Like Peptide 1
  • Metabolic Clearance Rate
  • Peptides
  • Swine
  • Venoms

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