title: Focus on the short- and long-term effects of ghrelin on energy homeostasis.
abstract: The endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, ghrelin, is a 28-amino-acid peptide acylated with an octanoyl group at the serine in position 3. Most of the circulating ghrelin results from its synthesis and secretion by the X/A-like endocrine cells from the stomach and proximal small intestine. Besides its potent growth hormone secretory action, ghrelin is a highly pleiotropic hormone, contributing significantly to the regulation of appetite and food intake control, gastrointestinal motility, gastric acid secretion, endocrine and exocrine pancreatic secretions, cell proliferation, glucose and lipid metabolism, and cardiovascular and immunologic processes. The purpose of this review is to consider the orexigenic effects of ghrelin on short-term regulation of food intake and long-term regulation of body weight, the implications of genetic ghrelin and growth hormone secretagogue receptor polymorphism, and the use of antagonists and agonists of ghrelin in pathophysiological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Vriese
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perret
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delporte
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001069:Appetite Regulation; D001835:Body Weight; D002100:Cachexia / Q000503:physiopathology; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin