what is a gip

GIP stands for Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, which is a hormone that is produced by K cells in the mucosa of the small intestine in response to eating food. It is a 42-amino acid peptide that is released into the blood in response to ingestion of glucose or nutrients to stimulate insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells. GIP is an incretin hormone that exerts its effects by binding to its specific receptor, the GIP receptor (GIPR), which belongs to the G-protein coupled receptor family. Its main role is to induce insulin secretion, which is stimulated primarily by hyperosmolarity of glucose in the duodenum. In addition to its role as an incretin, GIP is known to inhibit apoptosis of the pancreatic beta cells and to promote their proliferation.