No effects of a 6-week intervention with a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist on pancreatic volume and oedema in obese men without diabetes.
AIM
To investigate the effect of a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA), liraglutide, on pancreatic volume, oedema, cellularity and DNA synthesis in humans.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
We performed an open-label study in 14 obese men (age 38 ± 11 years, body mass index 32 ± 4 kg/m2 ) without diabetes. Subjects were examined at baseline, during titration (week 4) of liraglutide towards 3.0 mg/day, and 2 weeks after steady-state treatment (week 6) of a final dose of liraglutide. The primary endpoint was pancreatic volume determined by magnetic resonance imaging. Secondary endpoints included pancreatic oedema and cellularity, positron emission tomography-based [18 F]fluorothymidine (FLT) uptake (DNA synthesis) and plasma pancreatic enzymes.


RESULTS
Plasma amylase (+7 U/L [95% confidence intervals 3-11], P < .01) and lipase (+19 U/L [7-30], P < .01) increased during liraglutide treatment. Pancreatic volume did not change from baseline to steady state of treatment (+0.2 cm3 [-8-8], P = .96) and no change in pancreatic cellular infiltration was found (P = .22). During titration of liraglutide, FLT uptake in pancreatic tissue increased numerically (+0.08 [0.00-0.17], P = .0507).


CONCLUSIONS
Six weeks of treatment with liraglutide did not affect pancreatic volume, oedema or cellularity in obese men without diabetes.
['Svane|Maria S|MS|', 'Johannesen|Helle H|HH|', 'Martinussen|Christoffer|C|', 'Bojsen-Møller|Kirstine N|KN|', 'Hansen|Martin Lundsgaard|ML|', 'Hansen|Adam E|AE|', 'Deacon|Carolyn F|CF|0000-0003-2611-5642', 'Hartmann|Bolette|B|', 'Keller|Sune H|SH|', 'Klausen|Thomas L|TL|', 'Loft|Annika|A|', 'Kjaer|Andreas|A|', 'Madsbad|Sten|S|', 'Löfgren|Johan|J|', 'Holst|Jens J|JJ|', 'Wewer Albrechtsen|Nicolai J|NJ|0000-0003-4230-5753']
D000328:Adult D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 D004487:Edema D000067757:Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor D006801:Humans D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents D000069450:Liraglutide D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D009765:Obesity
antiobesity drug clinical trial GLP-1 analogue