The role of peptide YY in gastrointestinal diseases and disorders

Peptide YY (PYY) is affected in several gastrointestinal diseases and disorders.Changes in PYY appear to be an adaptive response to alterations in pathophysiologicalconditions caused by the disease. This applies to gastrointestinal diseases/disorderssuch as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease,systemic sclerosis, and post-intestinal resection. By contrast, the changes inPYY in chronic idiopathic slow transit constipation (CST) seem to be of a primarynature, and may be one etiological factor of the disease. Abnormalities in PYYseem to contribute to the development of symptoms present in irritable bowel syndrome,inflammatory bowel disease, gastroenteropathy in long-standing diabetes and CST.The changes in PYY could, however, be favorable in some gastrointestinal disorderssuch as celiac disease, systemic sclerosis and post-intestinal resection state.Investigating changes in PYY in gastrointestinal diseases/disorders could be beneficialin clinical practice, where a receptor agonist or an antagonist can be used asa drug, depending on the condition. Similar to other neuroendocrine peptides/aminesof the gut, PYY has broad physiological/pharmacological effects: it can bind toand activate several receptors with independent actions. Thus, in order to usePYY as a drug, receptor-specific agonists or antagonists need to be developed.