Postprandial glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion is increased during the progression of glucose intolerance and obesity in high-fat/high-sucrose diet-fed rats

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is secreted by distal enteroendocrine cells in response to luminal nutrients, and exerts insulinotropic and anorexigenic effects. Although GLP-1 secretory responses under established obese or diabetic conditions have been studied, it has not been investigated whether or how postprandial GLP-1 responses were affected during the progression of diet-induced obesity. In the present study, a meal tolerance test was performed every week in rats fed a high-fat and high-sucrose (HF/HS) diet to evaluate postprandial glycaemic, insulin and GLP-1 responses. In addition, gastric emptying was assessed by the acetaminophen method. After 8 weeks of HF/HS treatment, portal vein and intestinal mucosa were collected to examine GLP-1 production. Postprandial glucose in response to normal meal ingestion was increased in the HF/HS group within 2 weeks, and its elevation gradually returned close to that of the control group until day 50. Slower postprandial gastric emptying was observed in the HF/HS group on days 6, 13 and 34. Postprandial GLP-1 and insulin responses were increased in the HF/HS group at 7 weeks. Higher portal GLP-1 and insulin levels were observed in the HF/HS group, but mucosal gut hormone mRNA levels were unchanged. These results revealed that the postprandial GLP-1 response to meal ingestion is enhanced during the progression of diet-induced glucose intolerance and obesity in rats. The boosted postprandial GLP-1 secretion by chronic HF/HS diet treatment suggests increased sensitivity to luminal nutrients in the gut, and this may slow the establishment of glucose intolerance and obesity.