ABSTRACT
Amylin, also know n as diabetes associated p ro te in o r islet am ylo id p o ly p ep tid e (IAPP), is a 37 am ino acid peptide tha t is co-secreted w ith insulin from pancreatic be ta cells fo llow ing n u tr ie n t in g e s tio n .1 Amylin acts to inhibit insulin secretion from the pancreas2 b u t its m ost characterized actions are in skeletal m uscle w here am ylin acts to b o th decrease in su lin -s tim u la ted incorporation o f glucose into glycogen and to p ro m o te g lycogen b re a k d o w n .3,4 A decrease in glycogen synthase activity and an inc rease in glycogen p h o sp h o ry la se ac tiv ity , a t least in p a r t, m ed ia te these actions. Thus, am ylin is though t to act as a p artne r to insulin in m etabolic regulation. Evidence is also em erging for a p rom inen t role for am ylin outside o f skeletal m uscle including the gastrointestinal tract, w here it is a po ten t inh ib ito r o f gastric em ptying,5 and the kidney where it has diverse actions inc lud ing p ro liferative effects on tu b u le epithelium ,6 m odula tion o f Ca++ excretion an d th iaz ide recep to r levels,7 as w ell as increasing renin activity.6
