Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Restrictive anorexia nervosa (AN) presents an adaptive appetite regulating profile including mainly high levels of ghrelin. Because this adaptive mechanism is not effective on food intake, other appetite regulating peptides need to be explored. 26RFa is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that stimulates appetite, gonadotropin release and bone metabolism. The aim of the current study was to evaluate circadian levels of 26RFa in AN patients compared with healthy subjects, o...

Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) belong to the same superfamily of regulatory neuropeptides which also comprises VIP, glucagon, secretin and GIP. Both GHRH and PACAP have been characterized on the basis of their hypophysiotropic activities. In the course of vertebrate evolution, the primary structure of GHRH has markedly diverged while the sequence of PACAP has been remarkably well preserved. In mammals, GHR...