title: Ghrelin and NUCB2/nesfatin-1 are expressed in the same gastric cell and differentially correlated with body mass index in obese subjects.
abstract: The orexigenic peptide ghrelin and the anorexigenic peptide nesfatin-1 are expressed by the same endocrine cell of the rat stomach, the X/A-like cell. However, data in humans are lacking, especially under conditions of obesity. We collected gastric tissue of obese patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy and investigated the expression of nesfatin-1 and ghrelin in the gastric oxyntic mucosa by immunofluorescence. Nesfatin-1 immunoreactivity was detected in the human oxyntic mucosa in cells with an endocrine phenotype. A major portion of nesfatin-1 immunoreactive cells (78 %) co-localized with ghrelin indicating the occurrence in human X/A-like cells. In patients with very high body mass index (BMI 55-65 kg/m(2)), the number of nesfatin-1 immunoreactive cells/low-power field was significantly higher than in obese patients with lower BMI (40-50 kg/m(2), 118 ± 10 vs. 82 ± 11, p < 0.05). On the other hand, the number of ghrelin immunoreactive cells was significantly reduced in obese patients with higher compared to lower BMI (96 ± 12 vs. 204 ± 21, p < 0.01). Also the ghrelin-acylating enzyme ghrelin-O-acyltransferase decreased with increasing BMI. In conclusion, nesfatin-1 immunoreactivity is also co-localized with ghrelin in human gastric X/A-like cells giving rise to a dual role of this cell type with differential effects on stimulation and inhibition of appetite dependent on the peptide released. The expression of these two peptides is differentially regulated under obese conditions with an increase of nesfatin-1 and a decrease of ghrelin immunoreactivity with rising BMI pointing towards an adaptive change of expression that may counteract further body weight increase.
authors.affiliation: Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Division Psychosomatic Medicine, Obesity Center Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stengel
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goebel-Stengel
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lembke
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahnis
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Elbelt
authors.forename: Nils W G
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Lambrecht
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ordemann
authors.forename: Burghard F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Klapp
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kobelt
mesh_terms: D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000080866:Nucleobindins; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D054439:Ghrelin; C000630650:NUCB2 protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C000630652:Nucb1 protein, rat; D000080866:Nucleobindins; D000217:Acyltransferases; C542776:MBOAT4 protein, human