The Effect of GLP-1 Receptor Activation on Central Reward and Satiety in Obesity and Diabetes (Braini-Ex)

The Effect of GLP-1 Receptor Activation on Central Reward and Satiety Circuits in Response to Food Stimuli in Obesity and Diabetes

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) based therapies, such as exenatide, are already successfully employed in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM). Exenatide improves glycemic control and is associated with reduced food intake and body weight. The investigators hypothesize that it affects central reward and satiety circuits and that this may contribute to the weight loss.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obesity; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diabetes Mellitus
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: placebo; Drug: exenatide; Drug: exenatide + exendin (9-39)

Detailed Description

The aim of the project is to determine 1) whether GLP-1 receptor activation of CNS reward and satiety circuits occurs, in the context of food(-related) stimuli; if this effect is altered in obese and diabetic compared to lean individuals 2) if it is independent of other postprandial metabolic and hormonal changes 3) if this effect is GLP-1-receptor-mediated 4) if the CNS changes correlate with subsequent feeding behaviour.

Methods The investigators will compare 16 obese T2DM-patients, 16 normoglycemic obese and 16 healthy lean individuals, with respect to food(-related) neuronal activity in central reward and satiety circuits by blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI. fMRI will be performed during intravenous infusion of a) the GLP-1 receptor agonist exenatide; b) exenatide and a GLP-1 receptor antagonist (exendin 9-39)(to investigate whether the exenatide-induced effects are GLP-1-receptor mediated) or c) saline; in randomized order, on separate days. To tease out concomitant postprandial metabolic and hormonal influences, measurements will be performed during a somatostatin pancreatic clamp with replacement of basal insulin, glucagon and growth hormone. Finally, to correlate changes in brain activity with subsequent feeding behavior, the investigators will measure food intake, self-reported hunger, satiety and mood, during a choice-buffet after the scanning.

Expected Results This project will gain insight into (CNS) mechanisms underlying the observed effects of the GLP-1 receptor agonist exenatide on food intake and body weight in obese, diabetic and healthy lean individuals. These findings may increase our understanding of the development of obesity and weight loss problems in obese and diabetic individuals and the role of GLP-1 in the central regulation of feeding behavior/appetite control.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 48
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Netherlands
  • De Boelelaan 1117
    • Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Netherlands, 1007MB
      • VU University Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

For all 3 study groups:

1. age 18-70 years.
2. Men and women. For women, only postmenopausal women (as ascertained by serum FSH) will be included in order to avoid variations related to the menstrual cycle.
3. To promote comparability and to overcome the interference of lateralization, only right-handed persons will be included.

For the healthy lean subjects, inclusion criteria will be:

1. body-mass index (BMI) of <25 kg/m2
2. stable bodyweight (<5% reported change during the previous 3 months)
3. Normal fasting and 2-h postload glucose as ascertained during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)

For the normoglycemic obese individuals, inclusion criteria will be:

1. body-mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2
2. stable bodyweight (<5% reported change during the previous 3 months)
3. Normal fasting and 2-h postload glucose as ascertained during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)

For the obese T2DM individuals, inclusion criteria will be:

1. Diagnosed with T2DM (20) > 3 months prior to screening
2. BMI ≥30 kg/m2
3. HbA1c 6.2-8.5%
4. Treatment with metformin at a stable dose for at least 3 months.

Exclusion Criteria:

In the obese T2DM patients, no blood glucose- and weight lowering agents will be allowed within 3 months before screening except for metformin. The normoglycemic lean and obese individuals will not be allowed to take blood glucose-lowering agents at any time before and during the study.

For all individuals, exclusion criteria will be:

1. congestive heart failure (NYHA II-IV)
2. chronic renal failure (glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73m2 per Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD)) or serious liver impairment
3. a history of gastrointestinal disorders, including gastroparesis, pancreatitis and cholelithiasis
4. neurological illness
5. malignancy
6. pregnancy or breast feeding
7. implantable devices
8. substance abuse
9. addiction
10. contra-indication for MRI, such as claustrophobia or pacemaker
11. any psychiatric illness, including eating disorders and depression
12. hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients
13. chronic use of glucocorticoids or centrally acting drugs within 2 weeks immediately prior to screening
14. use of cytostatic or immuno-modulatory agents
15. participation in other studies
16. individuals who have received treatment within the last 30 days with a drug that has not received regulatory approval for any indication at the time of study entry
17. individuals who are investigator site personnel directly affiliated with the study, or are immediate family of investigator site personnel directly affiliated with the study. Immediate family is defined as a spouse, parent, child, or sibling, whether biological or legally adopted
18. individuals who have previously completed or withdrawn from this study or any other study investigating GLP-1 receptor agonist or dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 within 6 months
19. individuals, who in the opinion of the investigator, are unsuitable in any other way to participate in this study
20. individuals who are employed by Amylin Pharmaceutical Inc. or Eli Lilly & company (that is, employees, temporary contract workers, or designees responsible for conducting the study). Immediate family of Amylin or Lilly employees may participate in sponsored clinical trials, but are not permitted to participate at an Amylin or Lilly facility. Immediate family is defined as a spouse, parent, child, or sibling, whether biological or legally adopted
21. poor commandment of the Dutch language or any (mental) disorder that precludes full understanding the purpose, instruction and hence participation in the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: exenatide; Infusion of exenatide; loading dose 50 ng/min during 30 min, followed by a maintenance dose 20ng/min for the rest of the tests.	Drug: exenatide; The loading dose is 50 ng/min during 30 min, followed by a maintenance dose 20 ng/min for the rest of the tests.; Other Names: Byetta
Experimental: exenatide + exendin (9-39); exenatide infusion: loading dose 50 ng/min during 30 min, followed by a maintenance dose 20 ng/min for the rest of the test. And infusion of exendin(9-39) 600pM/kg/min.	Drug: exenatide + exendin (9-39); The loading dose is 50 ng/min during 30 min, followed by a maintenance dose 20 ng/min for the rest of the tests. Exendin 9-39 will be infused intravenously at doses of 600 pM/kg • min.
Placebo Comparator: saline; saline infusion, with the same infusion speed	Drug: placebo; saline infusion

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Differences in neuronal activity in CNS reward and satiety circuits	Differences in neuronal activity in CNS reward and satiety circuits (including striatum, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, insula, hypothalamus), as represented by BOLD fMRI signal change from baseline (%) in response to food(-related) stimuli, between obese T2DM patients, normoglycemic obese individuals and normoglycemic healthy lean subjects.	1 hour

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Feeding behavior	Feeding behavior, measured as quantitative (kcal) and qualitative (energy density as well as nutrient composition; carbohydrate/fat/protein) changes in food choice during a choice-buffet lunch, will be compared between groups and conditions.	2 hours
Self-reported hunger	Self-reported hunger, satiety, fullness and prospective food consumption, will be rated on 100 mm visual analogue scales before and after the meal.	2 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc
• Collaborators: Bristol-Myers Squibb; Eli Lilly and Company
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Michaela Diamant, MD PhD, VU University Medical Center, Diabetes Center

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• van Bloemendaal L, IJzerman RG, Ten Kulve JS, Barkhof F, Konrad RJ, Drent ML, Veltman DJ, Diamant M. GLP-1 receptor activation modulates appetite- and reward-related brain areas in humans. Diabetes. 2014 Dec;63(12):4186-96. doi: 10.2337/db14-0849. Epub 2014 Jul 28.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2011
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): October 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 20, 2011
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 20, 2011
• First Posted (Estimate): January 21, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): June 3, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 2, 2015
• Last Verified: June 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: GLP-1 agonist; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Satiety; Reward; Incretin hormones; Exenatide
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Endocrine System Diseases; Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Overweight; Body Weight; Diabetes Mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Obesity; Hypoglycemic Agents; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Hormones; Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists; Anti-Obesity Agents; Incretins; Exenatide
• Other Study ID Numbers: DC2010Exbrain001; 2010-023635-42 (EudraCT Number)