GLP-2 is cosecreted with GLP-1 in response to nutrient
ingestion. The principal role of GLP-2 appears to be the
maintenance of the growth and absorptive function of the
intestinal mucosal villus epithelium. GLP-2 was first identified as a novel peptide following
the cloning of the proglucagon gene in the early 1980s,
and subsequently the biosynthesis and release of GLP-2
were confirmed by isolation and characterization from
the porcine and human small intestine. The biological
role of GLP-2 as a stimulator of intestinal epithelial proliferation was first demonstrated in 1996.
