Endocrine Abstracts

Gastrectomy causes rapid development of osteopenia that, in animal models at least, is independent of nutritional effects. Ghrelin is produced primarily in the stomach, suggesting a link between the loss of ghrelin and gastrectomy induced osteopenia. Ghrelin stimulates growth hormone (GH) secretion and could positively affect bone metabolism via the GH-IGF axis, although ghrelin receptor (GHS-R) deleted mice have unaltered BMD and BMC, despite having suppressed IGF-I serum lev...

The peptides acylated and unacylated ghrelin (AG and UAG) are produced predominantly in the stomach. AG is the only known circulating orexigenic hormone with obesogenic and insulin-desensitising properties. Recent evidence suggests that UAG can inhibit these activities of AG. To investigate potential inhibitory effects of UAG and AZP-531, a UAG analogue, on AG-induced appetite and obesity we used an established rat model of diet induced obesity. Animals were fed a high-fat die...

Ghrelin, the endogenous GH secretagogue, has an important role in metabolic homeostasis. It exists in two major molecular forms: acylated (AG) and des-acylated (DAG). Many studies suggest different roles for these two forms in energy balance regulation. In the present study, we compared the effects of acute intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of AG, DAG and their combination (AG+DAG) to young adult Wistar rats on food intake and central melanocortin system modulation....