title: Protective effect of ghrelin in a rat model of celiac disease.
abstract: Ghrelin is a gut hormone shown to have protective effects throughout the gastrointestinal tract. This study aims to investigate its protective effect in celiac disease induced in rats. Twenty-four rat pups were divided into 4 groups as follows: control, disease (1.5 mg/g intragastric gliadin), co-treatment (50 ng/g intraperitoneal ghrelin after gliadin gavage) and pretreatment (50 ng/g intraperitoneal ghrelin before gliadin gavage). Animals' weight gain was charted. Histological features assessed include villus length, villus width, crypt depth and number of intraepithelial lymphocytes. Tissue interferon-gamma was quantified by ELISA. ANOVA was used to compare results statistically. Results showed that villi were shortened in the diseased group, but were as long as the control in pretreatment and co-treatment groups. Crypt depth had increased in disease group, but turned to normal in co-treatment group. Number of intraepithelial lymphocytes was significantly higher in disease group than the control, while no difference was observed between co-treatment and control groups. Disease and control animals weighed equally at the end of the experiment, but ghrelin-treated animals had significantly gained more weight than these two. Interferon-gamma measurement revealed no significant difference among groups. We concluded administration of ghrelin led to histological improvement of celiac disease which was more obvious if administered after exposure to gliadin.
authors.affiliation: Tehran University of Medical Sciences School of Medicine Tehran Iran.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Nikoukar
authors.affiliation: Tehran University of Medical Sciences Department of Physiology, School of Medicine Tehran Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nabavizadeh
authors.affiliation: Tehran University of Medical Sciences Department of Physiology, School of Medicine Tehran Iran.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mohamadi
authors.affiliation: Tehran University of Medical Sciences Department of Physiology, School of Medicine Tehran Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moslehi
authors.affiliation: Tehran University of Medical Sciences Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine Tehran Iran.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hassanzadeh
authors.affiliation: Pasteur Institute of Iran Department of Parasitology Tehran Iran.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nahrevanian
authors.affiliation: Iran University of Medical Sciences Department of Liver and Gastrointestinal Research Tehran Iran.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Agah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019610:Cytoprotection; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005903:Gliadin; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007583:Jejunum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D005903:Gliadin
keywords: celiac disease; enteropathy; ghrelin; gliadin; rat