[Glucagon-like peptide-1--a new hormone and a new drug]

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1 is an insulinotropic hormone, which is secreted from endocrine cells of the intestinal mucosa in relation to meal ingestion. It plays an important role as an incretin hormone; thus, mice with a null-muation in the gene encoding the GLP-1 receptor are glucose intolerant. In addition, GLP-1 inhibits gastrointestinal secretion and motility and is thought to act as one of the hormones of the "ileal brake". The insulinotropic effect of GLP-1 is preserved in patients with non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and, because GLP-1 also inhibits glucagon secretion, it effectively lowers blood glucose in such, and given as an intravenous infusion it may completely normalise blood glucose. Furthermore, because its actions on insulin and glucagon secretion are dependent on the blood glucose levels it will not cause hypoglycemia. Efforts are therefore currently being made to employ GLP-1 or analogues thereof in clinical diabetes treatment, not least because recent investigations have shown that GLP-1, perhaps due to its gastrointestinal actions, is capable of reducing food intake in humans.