Peptide YY does not inhibit glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in humans

Peptide YY (PYY) is localized to gut and pancreatic endocrine cells. It may therefore be involved in the regulation of insulin secretion as a gut hormone as well as an islet local regulator. In laboratory animals, the peptide inhibits stimulated insulin secretion, but its effects in humans are not known. We therefore infused PYY intravenously at a low (1 pmol . kg(-1). min(-1); N =4) or a high rate (5 pmol . kg(-1). min(-1); N = 5) for 120 min in healthy women aged 52 years. After 30 min of infusion, glucose (0.5 g/kg) was injected rapidly. In separate control experiments, saline was infused instead of PYY. We found that PYY did not inhibit the acute insulin response to glucose or affect the glucose elimination rate, and PYY was also without influence on the basal plasma glucose and serum insulin levels during the 30-min infusion before the challenge with glucose. We therefore conclude that intravenous infusion of PYY does not affect glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in man.