title: Serum ghrelin concentrations in patients receiving olanzapine or risperidone.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although enhanced appetite and weight gain are potential side effects of treatment with antipsychotic agents, particularly olanzapine and clozapine, the mechanism is poorly understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that ghrelin, a gastrointestinal hormone that enhances appetite, is involved in increased food intake and weight gain during treatment with antipsychotics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum ghrelin concentrations were investigated in schizophrenic patients receiving olanzapine or risperidone, and in healthy volunteers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum ghrelin concentrations did not increase, but rather decreased, in patients treated with olanzapine or risperidone in comparison with healthy volunteers. No significant difference was found in serum ghrelin concentration between patients treated with olanzapine and risperidone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that ghrelin is not a direct cause of increased food intake and weight gain during treatment with olanzapine or risperidone, whereas ghrelin is associated with metabolic change in patients receiving these agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yokohama Maioka Hospital, Maioka-cho 3482, Totsuka-ku, 244-0813 Yokohama, Japan. togo-t@rd6.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Togo
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hosojima
authors.forename: Katsuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kase
authors.forename: Hirotake
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uchikado
authors.forename: Eizo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iseki
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kosaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D054439:Ghrelin; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077152:Olanzapine; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D018967:Risperidone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D018967:Risperidone; D000077152:Olanzapine