Grant: Project Grant

The intestinal hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1), is commonly used to reduce blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. We have recently discovered that GLP1 levels in the blood change differently between day and night following identical meals consumed either during the day or at night. In addition, we have found that alterations in the timing of light exposure, such as that found in shift-workers, causes changes in the normal patterns of GLP1 secretion, leading to elevations in blood glucose levels. One of the risks faced by shift workers is an increase in metabolic disease, defined in part by abnormally high levels of blood glucose. We now propose to understand how these changes in GLP1 levels are controlled, using both animal and cell models, in order to develop a better approach to using GLP1 treatment in humans with high blood glucose caused by shift-work and sleep disorders.