title: Ghrelin: a metabolic signal affecting the reproductive system.
abstract: Ghrelin, an acylated 28 amino acid gastric peptide, was isolated from the stomach as an endogenous ligand for growth hormone (GH) secretagogue receptor in 1999. Circulating ghrelin is mainly produced by specific cells in the stomach's oxyntic glands. Ghrelin potently stimulates GH release and food intake and exhibits diverse effects, including ones on glucose metabolism and on secretion and motility of the gastrointestinal tract. Besides these effects on food intake and energy homeostasis, ghrelin is also involved in controlling reproductive functions, and a role for it as a novel regulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis is clearly emerging. We review recent ghrelin research with emphasis on its roles in the reproductive axis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology and Innovative Therapies-Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Tronto 10/a, 60020 Ancona, Italy. teresalorenzi@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lorenzi
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meli
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marzioni
authors.forename: Manrico
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morroni
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baragli
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castellucci
authors.forename: Oreste
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gualillo
authors.forename: Giampiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muccioli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000502:physiology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin / Q000502:physiology; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin; D005947:Glucose