title: Ghrelin contributes to protection of hepatocellular injury induced by ischaemia/reperfusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ghrelin, a gut hormone with pleiotropic effects, may act as a protective signal in parenchymal cells. We investigated the protective effects of ghrelin on hepatocytes after ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R).
  
  
  METHODS
  Hepatic injury was assessed by measurement of plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), histological analysis, and TUNEL assay. Effects of exogenous ghrelin and ghrelin receptor gene deletion on I/R induced injury of liver were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ischaemia/reperfusion induced a profound injury to hepatocytes. This was accompanied by elevations in plasma ALT and LDH. Pretreatment with ghrelin significantly reduced elevations in plasma ALT and LDH, and attenuated tissue damage induced by hepatic I/R in mice. Hepatic injury induced by I/R was more pronounced in ghrelin receptor gene null mice. Ghrelin administration blocked the up-regulation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity induced by hepatic I/R.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that ghrelin contributes to the cytoprotection during hepatic I/R.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Peking University Health Science Center, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China; Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Da Li University, Dali, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Ziru
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mulholland
authors.forename: Weizhen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin / Q000235:genetics; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases
keywords: AMPK; Ghrelin; HIRI; ghrelin receptor; gut hormone; liver