Author Description

Incretins are hormones released from the gut in response to nutrient ingestion that potentiate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. The search for incretins was prompted by the observation that administration of an oral glucose load leads to a much greater stimulation of insulin response than that obtained when glucose is infused intravenously to give identical blood glucose levels. This difference between the two ways of glucose administration has been attributed to incretin hormones, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose- dependant insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), involved in the disposal of absorbed glucose, through the stimulation of insulin secretion.Indeed, GLP-1R agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors have been widely and successfully used therapeutic agents in the management of type 2 diabetes.