GHRELIN: AN OREXIGENIC SIGNAL

Kaur Inderjeet, Badyal Ashima*, Sodhi K S, Pandey R.

ABSTRACT

Recent progress in the field of energy homeostasis has been triggered by the discovery of a novel gastric hormone ghrelin, which is an endogenous agonist at the growth hormone secretagogue receptor and belongs to the motilin-related family of regulatory peptides. In addition to its ability to stimulate GH secretion and gastric motility, ghrelin stimulates appetite (orexigenic effect) and induces a positive energy balance leading to body weight gain. Ghrelin is a novel neuroendocrine signal possessing a wide spectrum of biological activities thereby illustrating the importance of the stomach in providing input into the brain. Defective ghrelin signaling from the stomach could contribute to abnormalities in energy balance, growth, and associated gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine functions.Here, we review the evidence indicating ghrelin as a crucial missing link between the stomach and the hypothalamus, and the clinical implication of this ghrelin signalling pathway in the control of gastrointestinal function, energy balance and growth.

Keywords: Ghrelin, appetite, orexigenic, brain, stomach.