Chinmay S. Marathe

Relationships Between Gastric Emptying, Postprandial Glycemia, and Incretin Hormones

The importance of achieving tight glycemic control, usually assessed by glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), for both the prevention and delay in the progression of diabetes-related microvascular complications, is established, and the American Diabetes Association/European Association for the Study of Diabetes joint committee has recommended an HbA1c <7% as the goal in patients with type 2 diabetes (1). The relative contributions of pre- and postprandial glycemia to HbA1c have been clarified during the last decade following the seminal report by Monnier et al. (2) indicating that in type 2 diabetes, postprandial glycemic excursions account for about 70% of variability when HbA1c is <7.3%, while the contribution of “fasting” glycemia is greater in less well-controlled patients. Subsequent studies have confirmed the predominance of postprandial glycemia in determining overall glycemic control in “well-controlled” type 2 diabetic patients managed by oral hypoglycemic agents or basal insulin (3). The importance of postprandial glycemia to overall glycemic control is not surprising considering that 1 ) humans in modern societies spend only about 3 or 4 h before breakfast in a truly fasting state because in health, gastric emptying of meals occurs at an overall rate of 1–4 kcal/min (4), and 2 ) postprandial hyperglycemia occurs frequently in diabetes (1). The relevance of postprandial glycemia is further increased by the recognition that it may represent an independent risk factor for adverse cardiovascular outcomes in both diabetic and nondiabetic populations (5). The determinants of postprandial glycemia include preprandial glycemic levels, meal composition, gastric emptying, insulin secretion, small intestinal glucose absorption, and hepatic and peripheral glucose metabolism. Furthermore, the relative contribution of each of these factors may vary over time during the postprandial state. Nevertheless, both the rate of gastric emptying and the secretion and action of the incretin hormones, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide …

Effects of GLP-1 and Incretin-Based Therapies on Gastrointestinal Motor Function

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is a hormone secreted predominantly by the distal small intestine and colon and released in response to enteral nutrient exposure. GLP-1-based therapies are now used widely in the management of type 2 diabetes and have the potential to be effective antiobesity agents. Although widely known as an incretin hormone, there is a growing body of evidence that GLP-1 also acts as an enterogastrone, with profound effects on the gastrointestinal motor system. Moreover, the effects of GLP-1 on gastrointestinal motility appear to be pivotal to its effect of reducing postprandial glycaemic excursions and may, potentially, represent the dominant mechanism. This review summarizes current knowledge of the enterogastrone properties of GLP-1, focusing on its effects on gut motility at physiological and pharmacological concentrations, and the motor actions of incretin-based therapies. While of potential importance, the inhibitory action of GLP-1 on gastric acid secretion is beyond the scope of this paper.

Relationships of Early And Late Glycemic Responses With Gastric Emptying During An Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

CONTEXT The early glycemic response during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is directly related to the rate of gastric emptying (GE). There is little information about the effect of GE on the blood glucose at either 60 min (a predictor of diabetes) or 120 min (used diagnostically). OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between glycemic responses at 30, 60, and 120 min and GE following a 75-g OGTT in subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and type 2 diabetes (T2D). DESIGN, SETTING, AND SUBJECTS Eighty-two subjects in the general community without diabetes (57 NGT, 25 IGT) and 16 with T2D consumed a 75-g glucose drink labeled with (99m)Tc-sulfur colloid. GE (by scintigraphy) and glycemia were measured from t = 0-120 min and relationships between blood glucose (absolute, change from baseline, and area under the curve) and GE at 30, 60, and 120 min determined. RESULTS There were no differences in GE. There were relationships between the blood glucose at 30 min and GE (NGT: r = 0.40; P < .01; IGT: r = 0.49; P = .02; T2D: r = 0.62; P = .01). There was also a relationship between the blood glucose at 60 min and GE in IGT (r = 0.52; P = .02) and T2D (r = 0.77; P < .01), but not NGT (r = 0.16; P = .24). In NGT, there was an inverse relationship between blood glucose at 120 min and GE (r = -0.30; P = .02), but not in IGT (r = 0.05; P = .82) or T2D (r = 0.37; P = .16). CONCLUSIONS GE is a determinant of the glycemic response to an OGTT in NGT, IGT, and T2D but these relationships differ and are time dependent.

Small Intestinal Glucose Exposure Determines the Magnitude of the Incretin Effect in Health and Type 2 Diabetes

The potential influence of gastric emptying on the “incretin effect,” mediated by glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), is unknown. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of intraduodenal (ID) glucose infusions at 2 (ID2) and 4 (ID4) kcal/min (equating to two rates of gastric emptying within the physiological range) on the size of the incretin effect, gastrointestinal glucose disposal (GIGD), plasma GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon secretion in health and type 2 diabetes. We studied 10 male BMI-matched controls and 11 male type 2 patients managed by diet or metformin only. In both groups, GIP, GLP-1, and the magnitude of incretin effect were greater with ID4 than ID2, as was GIGD; plasma glucagon was suppressed by ID2, but not ID4. There was no difference in the incretin effect between the two groups. Based on these data, we conclude that the rate of small intestinal glucose exposure (i.e., glucose load) is a major determinant of the comparative secretion of GIP and GLP-1, as well as the magnitude of the incretin effect and GIGD in health and type 2 diabetes.

The Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonist Exenatide Inhibits Small Intestinal Motility, Flow, Transit, and Absorption of Glucose in Healthy Subjects and Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The short-acting glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist exenatide reduces postprandial glycemia, partly by slowing gastric emptying, although its impact on small intestinal function is unknown. In this study, 10 healthy subjects and 10 patients with type 2 diabetes received intravenous exenatide (7.5 μg) or saline (−30 to 240 min) in a double-blind randomized crossover design. Glucose (45 g), together with 5 g 3-O-methylglucose (3-OMG) and 20 MBq 99mTc-sulfur colloid (total volume 200 mL), was given intraduodenally (t = 0–60 min; 3 kcal/min). Duodenal motility and flow were measured using a combined manometry-impedance catheter and small intestinal transit using scintigraphy. In both groups, duodenal pressure waves and antegrade flow events were fewer, and transit was slower with exenatide, as were the areas under the curves for serum 3-OMG and blood glucose concentrations. Insulin concentrations were initially lower with exenatide than with saline and subsequently higher. Nausea was greater in both groups with exenatide, but suppression of small intestinal motility and flow was observed even in subjects with little or no nausea. The inhibition of small intestinal motor function represents a novel mechanism by which exenatide can attenuate postprandial glycemia.

Impact of gastric emptying to the glycemic and insulinemic responses to a 75‐g oral glucose load in older subjects with normal and impaired glucose tolerance

The majority of studies relating to the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) have not taken gastric emptying (GE), which exhibits a substantial inter‐individual variation, into account. We sought to evaluate the impact of GE, on the glycemic and insulinemic responses to a 75‐g oral glucose load in older subjects with normal and impaired glucose tolerance. Eighty‐seven healthy ‘older’ subjects (47F, 40M; age 71.0 ± 0.5 year) were given a drink comprising of 75‐g glucose and 150 mg C13‐acetate made up to 300 mL with water on a single occasion. Exhaled breath was obtained for analysis of 13CO2 and calculation of the 50% GE time (T50). Blood glucose, serum insulin and plasma glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) and glucose‐dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) were measured, and the insulin sensitivity index (ISI), and the disposition index (DI), were calculated. Thirty‐one subjects had normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and 46 had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Blood glucose at t = 60 min and t = 120 min were related inversely to ISI (P < 0.001) and DI P < 0.001). The rise in blood glucose at t = 60 min was related inversely to the T50 in all subjects (P < 0.01), and those with IGT (P < 0.001), but not NGT. There were no significant relationships between the blood glucose at t = 120 min with the T50, but in both groups the change in blood glucose from baseline at t = 180 min was related (NGT: P < 0.001; IGT: P < 0.001) to the T50. We conclude that in NGT and IGT, the effect of GE on both the ‘early’ and ‘late’ glycemic responses to a 75‐g oral glucose load is complementary to that of insulin sensitivity.

Novel insights into the effects of diabetes on gastric motility.

ABSTRACT Recent data from the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetic Interventions and Complications cohort indicate that the disease burden of gastroparesis in diabetes remains high, consistent with the outcome of cross-sectional studies in type 1 and 2 diabetes. An improved understanding of the pathogenesis of diabetic gastroparesis at the cellular level has emerged in the last decade, particularly as a result of initiatives such as the National Institute of Health funded Gastroparesis Clinical Research Consortium in the US. Management of diabetic gastroparesis involves dietary and psychological support, attention to glycaemic control, and the use of prokinetic agents. Given that the relationship between upper gastrointestinal symptoms and the rate of gastric emptying is weak, therapies targeted specifically at symptoms, such as nausea or pain, are important. The relationship between gastric emptying and postprandial glycaemia is complex and inter-dependent. Short-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, that slow gastric emptying, can be used to reduce postprandial glycaemic excursions and, in combination with basal insulin, result in substantial reductions in glycated haemoglobin in type 2 patients.

Comparative effect of intraduodenal and intrajejunal glucose infusion on the gut–incretin axis response in healthy males

The region of enteral nutrient exposure may be an important determinant of postprandial incretin hormone secretion and blood glucose homoeostasis. We compared responses of plasma glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), insulin and glucagon, and blood glucose to a standardised glucose infusion into the proximal jejunum and duodenum in healthy humans. Ten healthy males were evaluated during a standardised glucose infusion (2 kcal min−1 over 120 min) into the proximal jejunum (50 cm post pylorus) and were compared with another 10 healthy males matched for ethnicity, age and body mass index who received an identical glucose infusion into the duodenum (12 cm post pylorus). Blood was sampled frequently for measurements of blood glucose and plasma hormones. Plasma GLP-1, GIP and insulin responses, as well as the insulin:glucose ratio and the insulinogenic index 1 (IGI1) were greater (P<0.05 for each) after intrajejunal (i.j.) than intraduodenal glucose infusion, without a significant difference in blood glucose or plasma glucagon. Pooled analyses revealed direct relationships between IGI1 and the responses of GLP-1 and GIP (r=0.48 and 0.56, respectively, P<0.05 each), and between glucagon and GLP-1 (r=0.70, P<0.001). In conclusion, i.j. glucose elicits greater incretin hormone and insulin secretion than intraduodenal glucose in healthy humans, suggesting regional specificity of the gut–incretin axis.

Acute effects of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, exenatide, on blood pressure and heart rate responses to intraduodenal glucose infusion in type 2 diabetes

Aim: To evaluate the effects of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, exenatide, on blood pressure and heart rate during an intraduodenal glucose infusion in type 2 diabetes. Methods: Nine subjects with type 2 diabetes were randomised to receive intravenous exenatide or saline control in a crossover design. Glucose (3 kcal min−1) was infused via an intraduodenal manometry catheter for 60 min. Blood pressure, heart rate, and the frequency and amplitude of duodenal pressure waves were measured at regular intervals. Gastrointestinal symptoms were monitored using 100 mm visual analogue scales. Results: During intraduodenal glucose infusion (0–60 min), diastolic (p(0–60) = 0.03) and mean arterial (p(0–60) = 0.03) blood pressures and heart rate (p(0–60) = 0.06; p(0–120) = 0.03)) were higher with exenatide compared to placebo. The increase in the area under the curve for diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial blood pressure was related directly to the suppression of the duodenal motility index with exenatide compared to control (p = 0.007 and 0.04, respectively). Conclusion: In type 2 diabetes, intravenous exenatide increases mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate during an intraduodenal glucose infusion, supporting the need for further research with exenatide for its potential use in postprandial hypotension.

Relationships of the early insulin secretory response and oral disposition index with gastric emptying in subjects with normal glucose tolerance

The oral disposition index, the product of the early insulin secretory response during an oral glucose tolerance test and insulin sensitivity, is used widely for both the prediction of, and evaluation of the response to interventions, in type 2 diabetes. Gastric emptying, which determines small intestinal exposure of nutrients, modulates postprandial glycemia. The aim of this study was to determine whether the insulin secretory response and the disposition index (DI) related to gastric emptying in subjects with normal glucose tolerance. Thirty‐nine subjects consumed a 350 mL drink containing 75 g glucose labeled with 99mTc‐sulfur colloid. Gastric emptying (by scintigraphy), blood glucose (G) and plasma insulin (I) were measured between t = 0–120 min. The rate of gastric emptying was derived from the time taken for 50% emptying (T50) and expressed as kcal/min. The early insulin secretory response was estimated by the ratio of the change in insulin (∆I0–30) to that of glucose at 30 min (∆G0–30) represented as ∆I0–30/∆G0–30. Insulin sensitivity was estimated as 1/fasting insulin and the DI was then calculated as ∆I0–30/∆G0–30 × 1/fasting insulin. There was a direct relationship between ∆G0–30 and gastric emptying (r = 0.47, P = 0.003). While there was no association of either ∆I0–30 (r = −0.16, P = 0.34) or fasting insulin (r = 0.21, P = 0.20), there were inverse relationships between the early insulin secretory response (r = −0.45, P = 0.004) and the DI (r = −0.33, P = 0.041), with gastric emptying. We conclude that gastric emptying is associated with both insulin secretion and the disposition index in subjects with normal glucose tolerance, such that when gastric emptying is relatively more rapid, both the early insulin secretory response and the disposition index are less. These findings should be interpreted as “hypothesis generating” and provide the rationale for longitudinal studies to examine the impact of baseline rate of gastric emptying on the prospective risk of type 2 diabetes.