Darmhormonen: Nieuwe spelers bij de behandeling van obesitas en type-2-diabetes-mellitus?

The gastrointestinal hormones peptideYY_3-36 (PYY _3-36), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), oxyntomodulin (OXM) and cholecystokinin (CCK) can inhibit food intake via hypothalamic pathways. These hormones can affect glucose metabolism as well, completely or partially via the same hypothalamic mechanisms. On account of their specific characteristics, gastrointestinal hormones act as a finely tuned system to regulate food intake and glucose metabolism. Because these hormones affect both food intake and glucose metabolism, they seem to be ideal new pharmacological targets for the treatment of obesity and type II diabetes mellitus. Preclinical and clinical studies will have to prove the efficacy and safety of new drugs aimed at these new targets. As obesity has reached epidemic proportions, gastrointestinal hormone assays can be expected to entry clinical-chemistry laboratories in the near future.