An overview of gastrointestinal endocrine physiology

The biologic actions of the peptides of the gastrointestinal tract indicate that they exert their effects by interacting with, in many instances, more than one receptor type and receptors on several tissues. Gut hormone profiles in pathophysiologic situations have not demonstrated a significant role for them in disease states, other than in endocrine tumors of the gastroenteropancreatic system. The successful identification and subsequent cloning of the receptors to the regulatory peptides, knowledge of the control of their expression, and distribution will provide new insights into their possible involvement in pathophysiologic situations. Identification of pharmacophores from which to develop analogues, both agonists and antagonists, will provide powerful tools and potential therapeutic agents to expand knowledge in this field.