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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #279226

Title: Physiological roles revealed by ghrelin and ghrelin receptor deficient mice

Author
item ALBARRAN-ZECKLER, RG - Baylor College Of Medicine
item SUN, YUXIANG - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item SMITH, ROY - Baylor College Of Medicine

Submitted to: Peptides
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/5/2011
Publication Date: 7/12/2011
Citation: Albarran-Zeckler, R., Sun, Y., Smith, R.G. 2011. Physiological roles revealed by ghrelin and ghrelin receptor deficient mice. Peptides. 32(11):2229-2235.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Ghrelin is a hormone made in the stomach and known primarily for its growth hormone releasing and orexigenic properties. Nevertheless, ghrelin through its receptor, the GHS-R1a, has been shown to exert many roles including regulation of glucose homeostasis, memory & learning, food addiction and neuroprotection. Furthermore, ghrelin could promote overall health and longevity by acting directly in the immune system and promoting an extended antigen repertoire. The development of mice lacking either ghrelin (ghrelin-/-) or its receptor (ghsr-/-) have provided a valuable tool for determining the relevance of ghrelin and its receptor in these multiple and diverse roles. In this review, we summarize the most important findings and lessons learned from the ghrelin-/- and ghsr-/- mice.