The stimulatory effects of ghrelin, a 28-AA acylated peptide originally isolated from stomach, on growth hormone (GH) secretion and feeding are exclusively mediated through the growth hormone secretagogue 1a receptor (GHS-R1a), the only ghrelin receptor described so far. Several GHS-R1a agonists and antagonists have been developed to treat metabolic or nutritional disorders but their mechanisms...

Ghrelin is a gut peptide composed of 28 amino acids mostly secreted in the gastric fundus mucosa. It was isolated and described in 1999 by Kojima et al. and only three years later its specific receptor, GHSR1a, was also identified. Ghrelin, the endogenous ligand for the GH secretagogue receptor, is the only peripheral orexigenic hormone that activates the receptors to be found especially in the...

Billions of birds migrate long distances to either reach breeding areas or to spend the winter at more benign places. On migration, most passerines frequently stop over to rest and replenish their fuel reserves. To date, we know little regarding how they decide that they are ready to continue their journey. What physiological signals tell a bird's brain that its fuel reserves are sufficient to ...

Because ghrelin is one of the key hormones in regulating feeding behavior and caloric status, it was suggested that ghrelin behavior might be closely associated with malnutrition state of patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Thus, we aimed to assess serum ghrelin levels in children with CLD and its relation to anthropometric parameters and severity of CLD. Forty CLD patients were studied ...

Ghrelin and its synthetic analog hexarelin are specific ligands of growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) receptor. GHS have strong growth hormone-releasing effect and other neuroendocrine activities such as stimulatory effects on prolactin and adrenocorticotropic hormone secretion. Recently, several studies have reported other beneficial functions of GHS that are independent of GH. Ghrelin and hexa...

Growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone and somatostatin modulate GH secretion. A third mechanism has been discovered in the last decade, involving the action of GH secretagogues. Ghrelin is a new acylated peptide produced mainly by the stomach, but also synthesized in the hypothalamus. This compound increases both GH release and food intake. The relative roles of hypothalamic and circulating ghr...

Obesity endangers the lives of millions of people worldwide, through comorbidities such as heart disease, cancers, type 2 diabetes, stroke, arthritis, and major depression. New approaches to control body weight remain a high priority. Vaccines traditionally have been used to protect against infectious diseases and, more recently, for unconventional targets such as drug addiction. Methodologies ...

Ghrelin is a growth hormone-releasing acylated peptide from stomach. The purified peptide consist of 28 amino acids in which the serine 3 residue is n-octanoylated. Ghrelin has been reported to increase in vitro GH secretion as well as in vivo plasma GH levels in pentobarbital anaesthetized rats. The aim of this work was to characterize the stimulatory effect of Ghrelin on in vivo GH secretion ...

Ambient temperature during exercise may affect energy intake regulation. Compared with a temperate (20 °C) environment, 1 h of running followed by 6 h of rest tended to decrease energy intake from 2 ad libitum meals in a hot (30 °C) environment but increase energy intake in a cool (10 °C) environment (p = 0.08). Core temperature changes did not appear to mediate this trend; whether acylated ghr...

Ghrelin is a 28-amino acid acylated peptide and is the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R). The GHS-R is expressed in hypothalamic nuclei, including the arcuate nucleus (Arc) where it is colocalized with neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons. In the present study, we examined the effects of ghrelin on feeding and energy substrate utilization (respiratory quotient; RQ) ...