GIP1-39, a novel insulinotropic peptide form and aspects on its mechanism of action

GIP1-39, a novel chain-length form of GIP (gastric inhibitory polypeptide or glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide), has been purified recently from porcine intestine and found to exist abundantly in this tissue. We have characterized that GIP1-39 is an insulinotropic peptide, and demonstrated that GIP1-39 is more potent in stimulating Insulin secretion from rat pancreatic islets than GIP1-42, the insulinotropic polypeptide reported originally. Therefore, we have further investigated some aspects on the mechanism behind the insulinotropic effect of GIP1-39 in single rat pancreatic beta cells. GIP1-39 at 100 nM was able to significantly increase intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), and capable of enhancing exocytosis assessed by membrane capacitance measurement. The novel GIP1-39 might be a more optimal molecular pattern in stimulating Insulin secretion and deserves to be further investigated biologically and clinically.