Incretins yesterday, pleiotropic gastrointestinal hormones today:glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP).

Incretins, which are insulinotropic gastrointestinal hormones, are produced mainly in K and L cells of the small intestine under the influence of nutritional stimuli. The best known incretins are glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). These hormones perform several functions: they stimulate insulin secretion in the pancreatic beta cells; they inhibit glucagon release from the alpha cells of the pancreas (GIP not in humans); they slow down gastric emptying and may directly suppress appetite; and, moreover, they indirectly increase peripheral glucose tolerance/insulin sensitivity. The insulinotropic and glucagonostatic effects of GLP-1 are glucose dependent. The incretins also have numerous other properties which are still being discovered and introduced in different branches of medicine. The patents mentioned in this work concern the use of incretins in diabetology, cardiology, gastroenterology and nuclear medicine. The pleiotropic effects of incretins offer therapeutic possibilities in numerous fields of medicine.

[The risk assessment of lungs' apices injury in patients after radioactive iodine therapy due to hyperthyroidism]. / Ocena ryzyka uszkodzenia szczytów pluc u pacjentów po leczeniu radiojodem z powodu nadczynnosci tarczycy.

In the light of recent research data hypothesis on radioactive iodine therapy leading to inflammatory reaction in lungs' apices has lately gained wider acceptance among pulmonologists. The study published of late showed that in one female patient previously treated with radioiodine due to toxic multinodular goiter 99mTc-Tectreotide uptake was found in the lung apex. The aim of study was evaluation of the risk assessment of inflammatory reaction in lungs' apices among patients treated with radioactive iodine due to hyperthyroidism. The study was carried out in 15 female patients (mean age 75 years +/-10 years) with large toxic multinodular goiter and fine needle aspiration biopsy negative for malignancy and who did not qualify for thyreoidectomy. Mean radioactive iodine therapeutic dose used in the study was 940 MBq. Chest SPECT scan (99mTc-Tectreotide) was performed one year after radioiodine therapy. Trace uptake in lung apex has been noted only in one patient. In 14 out of 15 patients in the study tectreotide uptake has not been found in any lungs' apices. All of 15 patients became euthyroid six months after radioactive iodine therapy and had their thyroid gland shrinked. No significant correlation between inflammatory reaction in lung apices and radioiodine therapy in patients with hyperthyroidism and large multinodular goiter was found in conducted study.