title: Ghrelin and immunity: a young player in an old field.
abstract: There is increasing evidence of the coupling of immune status to the metabolic system. The communication between the state of systemic and cellular energy balance to immune compartment is mediated via a complex array of cytokines, hormones and neuropeptides. Ghrelin, a recently described orexigenic peptide hormone, is predominantly produced by the stomach and functions as a positive regulator of the somatotropic axis and a peripheral signal of negative energy balance. Apart from its well-studied metabolic effects, ghrelin also exerts multiple regulatory effects on several other organ systems including the cardiovascular, central nervous and immune systems. Here, we summarize the growing evidence of ghrelin as a significant player in the regulation of inflammation and the immune function and the potential therapeutic targeting of ghrelin or its receptor, the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R), in various inflammatory and cachexic disease states.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute on Aging, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Gerontology Research Centre, 5600 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224-6825, USA. dixitvd@grc.nia.nih.gov
authors.forename: Vishwa Deep
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Dixit
authors.forename: Dennis D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Taub
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001069:Appetite Regulation; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D054439:Ghrelin; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000502:physiology*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin; D013004:Somatostatin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I