Open AccessThe role of ghrelin in the regulation of food intake in patients with obesity and anorexia nervosa
Author(s) -
I Dostálová,
Martin Haluzı́k
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
physiological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.647
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1802-9973
pISSN - 0862-8408
DOI - 10.33549/physiolres.931448
Subject(s) - ghrelin , orexigenic , postprandial , anorexia nervosa , medicine , endocrinology , obesity , appetite , weight loss , hormone , eating disorders , neuropeptide , insulin , psychiatry , receptor , neuropeptide y receptor
Gastrointestinal hormones play an important role in theneuroendocrine regulation of food intake and postprandialsatiety. Ghrelin is a 28-amino acid orexigenic peptide producedmainly by the stomach that is involved in both the long-termregulation of body weight and the short-term regulation ofpostprandial satiety. Impairments in ghrelin secretion may inconcert with other factors play an important role in thedevelopment of both obesity and anorexia nervosa. Despite anintensive research the critical factors regulating physiologicalpostprandial ghrelin response in healthy individuals and itsmodification by the presence of obesity and anorexia nervosa areonly partially understood. The potential contribution of ghrelin tothe differences of diet- vs. surgical-induced weight losses inmorbidly obese patients is now also being recognized. The aim ofthis review is to summarize the current knowledge about thephysiology and pathophysiology of ghrelin and to discuss itspotential in the prevention and/or treatment of obesity andanorexia nervosa.