Ghrelin expression in islet cell tumors: augmented expression of ghrelin in a case of glucagonoma with multiple endocrine neoplasm type I.
Ghrelin is a 28-amino acid peptide that regulates GH release together with GHRH and somatostatin. The expression of ghrelin has been detected in the stomach, small intestine, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, kidney, placenta, and testis. Recently it was reported that ghrelin is present in pancreatic alpha-cells and that it stimulates insulin secretion. In this study, we examined the ghrelin expression in two cases of glucagonoma and two cases of insulinoma by Northern blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Ghrelin expression was identified in a case of glucagonoma associated with multiple endocrine neoplasm type I both by Northern blot analysis using total RNA and by immunohistochemistry, although the plasma ghrelin level was not elevated. This is the first case of tumor in which ghrelin gene expression was detected by Northern blot analysis using total RNA.
Iwakura
Hiroshi
H
Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
Hosoda
Kiminori
K
Doi
Ryuichiro
R
Komoto
Izumi
I
Nishimura
Haruo
H
Son
Choel
C
Fujikura
Junji
J
Tomita
Tsutomu
T
Takaya
Kazuhiko
K
Ogawa
Yoshihiro
Y
Hayashi
Tatsuya
T
Inoue
Gen
G
Akamizu
Takashi
T
Hosoda
Hiroshi
H
Kojima
Masayasu
M
Kangawa
Kenji
K
Imamura
Masayuki
M
Nakao
Kazuwa
K
D007516:Adenoma, Islet Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D054439:Ghrelin; D005935:Glucagonoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018761:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D054439:Ghrelin; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D012313:RNA