The hepatic vagal reception of intraportal GLP-1 is via receptor different from the pancreatic GLP-1 receptor

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (7–36)amide (tGLP-1), a representative humoral incretin, released into the portal circulation in response to a meal ingestion, exerts insulinotropic action through binding to the tGLP-1 receptor known to be a single molecular form thus far. We previously reported that the hepatic vagal nerve is receptive to intraportal tGLP-1, but not to non-insulinotropic full-length GLP-1-(1–37), through a mechanism mediated by specific receptor to the hormone. In the present study, we aimed to examine how modification of the receptor function alters this neural reception of tGLP-1, by using the specific agonist, exendin-4, and the specific antagonist, exendin (9–39)amide, of the receptor at doses known to exert their effects on the insulinotropic action of tGLP-1. Intraportal injection of 0.2 or 4.0 pmol tGLP-1, a periphysiological and pharmacological dose, respectively, facilitated significantly the afferent impulse discharge rate of the hepatic vagus in anesthetized rats, as reported previously. However, unexpectedly, intraportal injection of exendin-4 at a dose of 0.2 or 4.0 pmol, or of even 40.0 pmol, did not facilitate the afferents at all. Moreover, intraportal injection of exendin (9–39)amide at 100 times or more molar dose to that of tGLP-1, either 5 min before or 10 min after injection of 0.2 or 4.0 pmol tGLP-1, failed to modify the tGLP-1-induced facilitation of the afferents. The present results suggest that the neural reception of tGLP-1 involves a receptor mechanism distinct from that in the well-known humoral insulinotropic action.