Ontogeny of the Glucagon-Like Peptide-2 Receptor Axis in the Developing Rat Intestine*

Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is secreted by enteroendocrine cells in the small and large intestines and exerts intestinotropic effects in the gastrointestinal mucosal epithelium of the adult rodent. The actions of GLP-2 are mediated by the GLP-2 receptor, a new member of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. To ascertain whether the GLP-2/GLP-2 receptor axis is expressed and functional in the developing intestine, we have studied the synthesis of GLP-2 and the expression of the GLP-2 receptor (GLP-2R) in the fetal and neonatal rat gut. GLP-2 immunoreactivity (GLP-2-IR) was detected in the fetal rat intestine, and fetal rat intestinal cell cultures secreted correctly processed GLP-2 1‐33 into the medium. High levels of GLP2 1‐33 were also detected in the circulation of 13-day-old neonatal rats (P , 0.001 vs. adult). Analysis of GLP-2 receptor expression by RTPCR demonstrated GLP-2R messenger RNA transcripts in fetal intestine and in neonatal stomach, jejunum, ileum, and colon. The levels of GLP-2R messenger RNA transcripts were comparatively higher in the fetal and neonatal intestine (P , 0.05‐ 001 vs. adult) and declined to adult levels by postnatal day 21. Subcutaneous administration of a degradation-resistant GLP-2 analog, h[Gly2]-GLP-2 once daily for 10 days increased stomach (0.009 6 0.0003 vs. 0.007 6 0.002 g/g body mass, h[Gly2]-GLP-2-treated vs. controls; P , 0.05) and small bowel weight (0.043 6 0.0037 vs. 0.031 6 0.0030 g/g body mass; P , 0.05). h[Gly2]-GLP-2 also increased both small (2.4 6 0.05 vs. 1.8 6 0.17 cm/g body mass; P , 0.05) and large bowel length (0.32 6 0.01 vs. 0.25 6 0.02 cm/g body mass, h[Gly2]-GLP-2-treated vs. saline-treated controls, respectively; P , 0.05) in neonatal rats. These findings demonstrate that both components of the GLP-2/GLP-2 receptor axis are expressed in the fetal and neonatal intestine. The ontogenic regulation and functional integrity of this axis raises the possibility that GLP-2 may play a role in the development and/or maturation of the developing rat intestine. (Endocrinology 141: 4194 ‐ 4201, 2000)