Effects of 18-month Vildagliptin Treatment on Portal Vein Pressure and Hepatosteatosis

Incretin-based therapies are agents that have been developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Improved glucoregulation has been observed following decreased break down or exogenous administration of an incretin hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). The advent of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors allows prevention of GLP-1 break down, thus increases its plasma concentration. Although these DPP-4 inhibitors act primarily on the pancreatic gland, they also exert effects on non-pancreatic organs (1,2). The gastrointestinal system in particular, as well as the central nervous system, bone, fatty tissue and the cardiovascular system are the most affected organs (3,4). This includes portal vein (PV) pressure and hepatic steatosis. In dog cell culture studies, there is an increased nitric ABSTRACT