The Importance of Hormones in Glucose Homeostasis

Diabetes, commonly treated with insulin, is a widespread ailment for many people, but insulin treatment only provides one of the compounds used in glucose homeostasis. This article discusses the importance of several hormones in glucose homeostasis.

Diabetes is treated with insulin, but evidence shows that there are many compounds that impact glucose homeostasis besides just insulin. Diabetes was seen as a mono-hormonal deficiency until the discovery of additional glucoregulatory hormones known as glucagon, amylin and incretin hormones. The interconnection of these hormones and the hormone insulin is now known to be the governing factors affecting glucose homeostasis. These hormones come from both the gut and the pancreas, and they work together to regulate glucose homeostasis.

A combined effort of all of these hormones is needed to effectively treat diabetes and improve glucose homeostasis. Regulating glucagon is still a common problem and research has focused on therapies to regulate this hormone. Amylin suppresses the secretion of glucagon by working with insulin; this hormone also helps regulate gastric emptying. Incretin hormones play a large role in glucose homeostasis by regulating the appearance of glucose and improving the secretion of insulin. These hormones are being studied, but researchers are only now becoming able to develop therapies to help with amylin and incretin hormones. The importance of a balance of all the hormones needed for glucose homeostasis is obvious when the negative effects of only insulin use is considered. Using only insulin to combat deficiencies can lead to weight gain, hypoglycemia, and many other complications.

"Glucose homeostasis is governed by the interplay of insulin, glucagon, amylin, and incretin hormones," and the necessity of these hormones in treatments for diabetes is obvious (Aronoff, Berkowitz, Shreiner, and Want). Understanding the interplay of these hormones is necessary when trying to treat glucose deficiencies. Further research and application of this information can provide "new pharmacological agents to promote better clinical outcomes and quality of life for people with diabetes" (Aronoff, Berkowitz, Shreiner, and Want).

For a very long time insulin has been the only treatment for diabetes, but further research has determined the complexity of glucose homeostasis as well as the role that other hormones play in this process. It is important to develop therapies that help with other hormones besides insulin in order to fully treat people who suffer from these ailments as well as regulate glucose homeostasis.

Reference

Aronoff, Stephen L; Berkowitz, Kathy; Shreiner, Barb; Want, Laura Diabetes Spectrum 3(2004):183. eLibrary. Web. 16 May. 2011.