Open AccessInvolvement of Ghrelin‐Growth Hormone Secretagogue Receptor System in Pathoclinical Profiles of Digestive System Cancer
Author(s) -
WANG Zhigang,
WANG Weigang,
QIU Wencai,
FAN Youben,
ZHAO Jun,
WANG Yu,
ZHENG Qi
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
acta biochimica et biophysica sinica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.771
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1745-7270
pISSN - 1672-9145
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-7270.2007.00360.x
Subject(s) - ghrelin , growth hormone secretagogue receptor , endocrinology , medicine , gastrointestinal tract , cancer , receptor , secretagogue , biology , cachexia , hormone , gastrointestinal cancer , colorectal cancer
Ghrelin receptor has been shown to be expressed along the human gastrointestinal tract. Recent studies showed that ghrelin and a synthetic ghrelin receptor agonist improved weight gain and lean body mass retention in a rat model of cancer cachexia by acting on ghrelin receptor, that is, growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS‐R). This study aims to explore the expression and the distribution of ghrelin receptor in human gastrointestinal tract cancers and to investigate the possible involvement of the ghrelin‐GHS‐R system in human digestive cancers. Surgical human digestive cancer specimens were obtained from various portions of the gastrointestinal tract from different patients. The expression of ghrelin receptor in these tissues was detected by tissue microarray technique. Our results showed that ghrelin receptor was expressed in cancers throughout the gastrointestinal tract, mainly in the cytoplasm of mucosal layer cells. Its expression level possibly correlated with organ type, histological grade, tumor‐nodes‐metastases stage, and nutrition status (weight loss) of the patients. For the first time, we identified the distribution of ghrelin receptor in digestive system cancers. Our results implied that the ghrelin‐GHS‐R system might be involved in the pathoclinical profiles of digestive cancers.