GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1)
Definition
An incretin released from the small intestine after a meal. It raises insulin secretion when glucose is high, suppresses glucagon, slows gastric emptying and signals fullness centrally. Its native half-life is about two minutes.
Terms used in this definition
Other entries this definition refers to.
Where this term comes up
Entries whose definition mentions GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1).
What this means for research sourcing
Mechanistic terms like this describe how research compounds behave in vitro. See the mechanism overviews for compounds Volta stocks.
Related Terms in Pharmacology
GLP-1 Receptor
The G protein-coupled receptor GLP-1 acts at, expressed in pancreatic islets, the stomach, the heart and several brain regions. The breadth of that expression is why agonists at it affect more than blood glucose.
GLP-1 Receptor Agonist
A compound that activates the GLP-1 receptor. GLP-1 SM and GLP-1 LR are the approved examples, studied against glycaemic endpoints and against body weight, and the class is the reference point most newer incretin-receptor peptides are compared with.
GIP (Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide)
The second incretin, released from the upper small intestine, which also enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion. It is a target of GLP-2 TZ alongside GLP-1 and of GLP-3 RT alongside GLP-1 and glucagon.
Incretin
A gut hormone released after eating that raises insulin secretion in a glucose-dependent way, meaning it acts when glucose is high and not when it is low. GLP-1 and GIP are the two in humans.
Glucagon
The pancreatic alpha-cell hormone that raises blood glucose through glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis, and that also increases energy expenditure. Adding glucagon-receptor activity to an incretin agonist is what dual agonists such as survodutide do.
Insulin
The pancreatic beta-cell hormone that moves glucose out of the blood into muscle, liver and fat. It is a 51-residue two-chain peptide held together by disulfide bridges, and it was the first peptide hormone made recombinantly.
Amylin
A hormone co-secreted with insulin by pancreatic beta cells, which slows gastric emptying, suppresses glucagon and promotes satiety. Pramlintide is a synthetic analogue; cagrilintide is a long-acting acylated one.
Ghrelin
A stomach-derived hormone that drives appetite and, by way of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, triggers growth hormone release. The GHRP family and several non-peptide agonists of the same receptor are studied as mimics of it.
