The orexigenic hormone ghrelin defends against depressive symptoms of chronic stress.
We found that increasing ghrelin levels, through subcutaneous injections or calorie restriction, produced anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like responses in the elevated plus maze and forced swim test. Moreover, chronic social defeat stress, a rodent model of depression, persistently increased ghrelin levels, whereas growth hormone secretagogue receptor (Ghsr) null mice showed increased deleterious effects of chronic defeat. Together, these findings demonstrate a previously unknown function for ghrelin in defending against depressive-like symptoms of chronic stress.
Lutter
Michael
M
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, Texas 75390-9077, USA.
Sakata
Ichiro
I
Osborne-Lawrence
Sherri
S
Rovinsky
Sherry A
SA
Anderson
Jason G
JG
Jung
Saendy
S
Birnbaum
Shari
S
Yanagisawa
Masashi
M
Elmquist
Joel K
JK
Nestler
Eric J
EJ
Zigman
Jeffrey M
JM
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D031204:Caloric Restriction / Q000379:methods; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D046352:Freezing Reaction, Cataleptic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D064446:Orexin Receptors; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000172:deficiency; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin / Q000172:deficiency; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000172:deficiency; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D013550:Swimming; D013997:Time Factors
D054439:Ghrelin; D064446:Orexin Receptors; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide