Obestatin, Acyl Ghrelin, and Des-acyl Ghrelin Responses to an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test in the Restricting Type of Anorexia Nervosa

• Published in: Biological psychiatry (1969) Vol. 63; no. 2; pp. 245 - 247
• Main Authors: Harada, Toshiro, Nakahara, Toshihiro, Yasuhara, Daisuke, Kojima, Shinya, Sagiyama, Ken-ichiro, Amitani, Haruka, Laviano, Alessandro, Naruo, Tetsuro, Inui, Akio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 15.01.2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Acyl ghrelin; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anorexia nervosa; Anorexia Nervosa - blood; Anorexia Nervosa - diagnosis; Biological and medical sciences; des-acyl ghrelin; Eating behavior disorders; Female; Ghrelin - blood; Glucose - administration & dosage; Glucose Tolerance Test; Humans; Medical sciences; obestatin; Peptide Hormones - blood; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; obestatin; Acyl ghrelin; anorexia nervosa; des-acyl ghrelin; Ghrelin; Oral administration; Glucose tolerance test; Anorexia nervosa; Eating disorder; Appetite stimulant
• ISSN: 0006-3223; 1873-2402
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.04.005

Background Obestatin is a recently identified peptide encoded by the same ghrelin gene. It has been reported that obestatin has anorexigenic and antigastroprokinetic activities as opposed to ghrelin. We investigated simultaneously obestatin, acyl ghrelin, and des-acyl ghrelin in the restricting type of anorexia nervosa (AN-R) patients. Methods Three hormonal responses to the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were measured in 10 AN-R patients and 10 healthy women. Results Plasma obestatin, acyl ghrelin, and des-acyl ghrelin levels were significantly higher in AN-R patients than in control subjects throughout the OGTT. All of the three hormones decreased after the OGTT in both groups. Conclusions We found that AN-R patients exhibited increased plasma levels of obestatin, acyl ghrelin, and des-acyl ghrelin throughout the OGTT compared with control subjects. The hormonal differences between groups are statistically most significant in obestatin, suggesting obestatin may serve as a marker reflecting both acute and chronic changes of the nutritional state in AN-R patients.