Ghrelin Regulates the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis and Restricts Anxiety After Acute Stress

• Published in: Biological psychiatry (1969) Vol. 72; no. 6; pp. 457 - 465
• Main Authors: Spencer, Sarah J., Xu, Lu, Clarke, Melanie A., Lemus, Moyra, Reichenbach, Alex, Geenen, Bram, Kozicz, Tamás, Andrews, Zane B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 15.09.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - blood; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - metabolism; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Anxiety; Anxiety - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Corticosterone - blood; Corticosterone - metabolism; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone - metabolism; Depression; Dexamethasone - pharmacology; ghrelin; Ghrelin - genetics; Ghrelin - physiology; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - drug effects; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - physiology; knockout; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Mood disorders; Pituitary-Adrenal System - drug effects; Pituitary-Adrenal System - physiology; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Receptors, Ghrelin; Restraint, Physical; stress; Stress, Psychological - physiopathology; knockout; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; stress; ghrelin; Anxiety; depression; Mood disorder; Affect affectivity; Hypothalamohypophysoadrenal axis; Ghrelin; Acute; Depression; Mutation; Stress; Appetite stimulant
• ISSN: 0006-3223; 1873-2402; 1873-2402
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.03.010

Ghrelin plays important roles in glucose metabolism, appetite, and body weight regulation, and recent evidence suggests ghrelin prevents excessive anxiety under conditions of chronic stress. We used ghrelin knockout (ghr−/−) mice to examine the role of endogenous ghrelin in anxious behavior and hypo...