Gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) hypersecretion in obesity depends on meal size and is not related to hyperinsulinemia.

The response of immunoreactive gastric inhibitory polypeptide (IR-GIP), immunoreactive insulin (IRI) and immunoreactive C-peptide (IR-C-peptide) to the ingestion of mixed liquid test meals containing 1031 kcal (550 ml) and 422 kcal was studied in 17 obese and 17 normal weight control subjects. When the 422 kcal load was ingested in a volume of 550 ml, the plasma IR-GIP response was significantly greater than in a volume of 225 ml at 15 and 30 min in lean and obese subjects, but the total integrated IR-GIP response was not significantly different between the obese and lean group. Also intraduodenal infusion of 150 ml (280 kcal) of the test meal elicited identical plasma IR-GIP concentrations in lean and obese subjects. An exaggerated IR-GIP response in obese subjects was seen only following the 1031 kcal load (integrated IR-GIP response: 23.6 +/- 1.9 in lean subjects vs 50.3 +/- 3.8 nmol/l/180 min in obese subjects; p less than 0.01). The IRI response was always significantly greater in obese than in lean subjects and not related to the GIP response. Fasting plasma IR-C-peptide levels were significantly elevated in obese subjects (lean: 0.52 +/- 0.04; obese: 1.42 +/- 0.12 nmol/l; p less than 0.005), but the postprandial integrated IR-C-peptide responses in the obese and lean group were identical, indicating decreased hepatic insulin extraction in obesity. It is concluded that an exaggerated IR-GIP response in obesity occurs only after ingestion of a high calorie meal probably as consequence of an increased gastric emptying rate and that the hyperinsulinemic response of obese subjects is not attributable to GIP hypersecretion.