Experimental studies have suggested that ghrelin plays a role in glucose homeostasis and in the regulation of blood pressure (BP). We therefore assessed the hypothesis that a low ghrelin concentration may be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and hypertension. We also characterized the effect of the ghrelin Arg51Gln and Leu72Met mutations on ghrelin concentrations in the population-based hyperte...

The recently discovered orexigenic peptide ghrelin is produced primarily by the stomach and circulates in blood at levels that increase during prolonged fasting in rats. When administered to rodents at supraphysiological doses, ghrelin activates hypothalamic neuropeptide Y/agouti gene-related protein neurons and increases food intake and body weight. These findings suggest that ghrelin may part...

Ghrelin is the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R), present on pituitary cells secreting growth hormone. Ghrelin and motilin, and GHS-R and the motilin receptor, are structurally related. Surprisingly, ghrelin is most abundant in the stomach, and GHS-R is also present in the stomach and in other organs and tissues, suggesting effects beyond stimulation of grow...

Ghrelin, a 28-amino-acid peptide, is mainly secreted by the stomach. Evidence has shown ghrelin to have neuroprotective effects. However, whether ghrelin protects hippocampal neurons against cell death in pilocarpine-induced seizures is unknown. We used Nissl staining to show that ghrelin attenuated the neuronal loss caused by pilocarpine-induced seizures in the hippocampus. Ghrelin exerted the...

Red hot pepper is a plant that belongs to the Solanaceae family and is known as Capsicum annuum. Capsaicin is the active ingredient of cayenne pepper. Ghrelin is a hormone, which consists of polypeptide structure. Ghrelin also contributes to growth hormone secretion, energy balance, food intake and body weight regulator. The aim of this study was the localization and expression of ghrelin in th...

Ghrelin is a newly discovered peptide that binds the receptor for GH secretagogues (GHS-R). The presence of both ghrelin and GHS-Rs in the hypothalamic-pituitary system, together with the ability of ghrelin to increase GH release, suggests a hypophysiotropic role for this peptide. To ascertain the intracellular mechanisms mediating the action of ghrelin in somatotropes, we evaluated ghrelin-ind...

Ghrelin-system components [native ghrelin, In1-ghrelin, Ghrelin-O-acyltransferase enzyme (GOAT) and receptors (GHS-Rs)] are expressed in a wide variety of tissues, including the pancreas, where they exert different biological actions including regulation of neuroendocrine secretions, food intake and pancreatic function. The expression of ghrelin system is regulated by metabolic conditions (fast...

The only molecularly identified ghrelin receptor is the growth hormone secretagogue receptor GHSR1a. Its natural ligand, ghrelin, is an acylated peptide whose unacylated counterpart (UAG) is almost inactive at GHSR1a. A truncated, nonfunctional receptor, GHSR1b, derives from the same gene. We have critically evaluated evidence for effects of ghrelin receptor ligands that are not consistent with...

BACKGROUND Three ghrelin gene-derived peptides, acyl ghrelin, des-acyl ghrelin and obestatin, are implicated in the regulation of feeding, adipogenesis and glucose metabolism, as well as gut motility. The effects of ghrelin gene-derived peptides on lower esophageal sphincter motility, however, were unknown. METHODS We investigated the influence of acyl ghrelin, des-acyl ghrelin and obestatin ...