1. We investigated whether abnormalities of gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (7–36 amide) (GLP-1) contribute to the hypertriglyceridaemia and hyperinsulinaemia in hypertriglyceridaemic subjects. Serum triglycerides and plasma glucose GIP, GLP-1 and immunoreactive insulin (IRI) concentrations were measured before and after a mixed meal in 15 hypertriglyceridaemic patients and in eight healthy normotriglyceridaemic control subjects.
2. Integrated post-prandial GIP concentrations were greater than in controls (P < 0.05) and correlated positively with both fasting and integrated post-prandial triglyceride concentrations (P < 0.05 for both). Fasting and integrated post-prandial IRI levels were higher in hypertriglyceridaemic subjects than in controls (P < 0.02 and P < 0.05 respectively) and correlated positively with fasting triglycerides (P < 0.02 and P < 0.001 respectively) and integrated post-prandial triglycerides (P < 0.005 and P < 0.05 respectively). There was no correlation between GIP concentrations and either fasting or post-prandial IRI levels. Fasting and post-prandial concentrations of GLP-1 were similar in patients and controls.
3. Hypertriglyceridaemic subjects have post-prandial hyperGIPaemia in addition to the well-documented hyperinsulinaemia. We found no association between GIP and insulin. There is, however, clear evidence for an association between post-prandial GIP concentrations and triglyceride levels. We suggest that this association may depend on changes in lipoprotein lipase activity and that there may be a feedback loop between GIP and triglyceride lipolysis.
