The effect of porcine gastric inhibitory polypeptide on hepatic glycogen metabolism was investigated in the isolated in situ perfused rat liver. Glycogenolysis was stimulated by infusion of glucagon into the portal vein (half maximal effective portal vein concentration approximately 30 pmol/l). When glucagon was infused at a final portal vein concentration of 0.5 nmol/l, simultaneous addition of insulin inhibited the glucagon-dependent glycogenolysis in a dose-dependent way (half maximal effective concentration for insulin about 2 nmol/l). Gastric inhibitory polypeptide alone at a concentration of 1 nmol/l reduced glucagon-dependent glycogenolysis only slightly. However, when infused simultaneously at low insulin concentrations (0.1 nmol/l), gastric inhibitory polypeptide suppressed hepatic glucose production dose-dependently up to 70%. The data suggest that gastric inhibitory polypeptide exerts direct metabolic effects on hepatic glycogen metabolism predominantly in a situation where insulin is simultaneously present, e.g. following ingestion of glucose.