Dissecting the physiology and pathophysiology of glucagon-like peptide-1

Copyright © 2018 Paternoster and Falasca. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. An aging world population exposed to a sedentary life style is currently plagued by chronic metabolic diseases, such as type-2 diabetes, that are spreading worldwide at an unprecedented rate. One of the most promising pharmacological approaches for the management of type 2 diabetes takes advantage of the peptide hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) under the form of protease resistant mimetics, and DPP-IV inhibitors. Despite the improved quality of life, long-term treatments with these new classes of drugs are riddled with serious and life-threatening side-effects, with no overall cure of the disease. New evidence is shedding more light over the complex physiology of GLP-1 in health and metabolic diseases. Herein, we discuss the most recent advancements in the biology of gut receptors known to induce the secretion of GLP-1, to bridge the multiple gaps into our understanding of its physiology and pathology

Complaints of sore throat after tracheal intubation: a prospective evaluation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Sore throat and hoarseness rank, besides pain and nausea, among the most frequent subjective complaints after tracheal intubation for general anaesthesia. Our intention was to determine the incidence of postoperative sore throat from a large sample of patients and thus to identify the most important associated factors. METHODS: We prospectively followed up 809 adult patients who underwent elective surgical interventions and examined their history, the applied anaesthetic techniques, perioperative course and the occurrence, intensity and duration of postoperative throat complaints. The assignment and professional experience of the involved intubators were also assessed. The influence of a multitude of variables on postoperative throat complaints was statistically analysed. RESULTS: Postoperative sore throat was present in 40% overall being significantly higher in female than in male (44% vs. 33%; P = 0.001). The mean pain intensity in the affected patients (n = 323) was 28+/-12 mm on a visual analogue scale where 0 = no pain and 100 = extreme pain. The average duration was 16+/-11 h. Main factors associated with throat complaints were female sex; history of smoking or lung disease, duration of anaesthesia, postoperative nausea, bloodstain on the endotracheal tube and natural teeth. We could find no influence on the occurrence or intensity of throat complaints by the professional assignment or the length of professional experience of the personnel involved. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative throat complaints frequently arise after tracheal intubation for general anaesthesia in the first 2 postoperative days, but they are of limited intensity and duration