Are Peripheral Biomarkers Determinants of Eating Styles in Childhood and Adolescence Obesity? A Cross-Sectional Study

Disturbances in eating behaviors have been widely related to obesity. However, little is known about the role of obesity-related biomarkers in shaping habitual patterns of eating behaviors (i.e., eating styles) in childhood. The objective of the present study was to explore the relationships between several biomarkers crucially involved in obesity (ghrelin, insulin resistance, and leptin/adiponectin ratio) and eating styles in children and adolescents with obesity. Seventy participants aged between 8 and 16 (56.2% men) fulfilled the Spanish version of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire for Children to measure external, emotional, and restrained eating styles. In addition, concentrations of ghrelin, leptin, adiponectin, insulin, and glucose were obtained through a blood test. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses controlling for age and sex were computed for each eating style. Results indicated that individuals with higher ghrelin concentration levels showed lower scores in restrained eating (β = −0.61, p < 0.001). The total model explained 32% of the variance of the restrained pattern. No other relationships between obesity-related biomarkers and eating behaviors were found. This study highlights that one of the obesity-risk factors, namely lower plasma ghrelin levels, is substantially involved in a well-known maladaptive eating style, restraint eating, in childhood obesity.

Differential Influence of Pueraria lobata Root Extract and Its Main Isoflavones on Ghrelin Levels in Alcohol-Treated Rats

The study was carried out on alcohol-preferring male Wistar rats. The following drugs were repeatedly (28×) administered: acamprosate (500 mg/kg, p.o.), naltrexone (0.1 mg/kg, i.p), and Pueraria lobata (kudzu) root extract (KU) (500 mg/kg, p.o.) and its isoflavones: daidzin (40 mg/kg, p.o.) and puerarin (150 mg/kg, p.o.). Their effects on a voluntary alcohol intake were assessed. KU and alcohol were also given for 9 days in an experiment on alcohol tolerance development. Finally, total and active ghrelin levels in peripheral blood serum were measured by ELISA method. Acamprosate, naltrexone, daidzin, and puerarin, reducing the alcohol intake, caused an increase in both forms of ghrelin levels. On the contrary, though KU inhibited the alcohol intake and alcohol tolerance development, it reduced ghrelin levels in alcohol-preferring rats. The changes of ghrelin concentration could play a role as an indicator of the currently used drugs. The other effect on the KU-induced shift in ghrelin levels in the presence of alcohol requires further detailed study.

Nutritional Status, Selected Nutrients Intake and Their Relationship with the Concentration of Ghrelin and Adiponectin in Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy

Background: Overnutrition is one of the risk factors of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The factors related to both obesity and CKD are adiponectin and ghrelin. The aim of the study was to assess if there is a link of nutritional status and selected nutrients intake with adiponectin and ghrelin in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN). Methods: The study involved 55 patients diagnosed with DN in the pre-dialysis period (two groups: GFR < 30 and >30 mL/min/1.73 m2). In all participants standard blood tests, total ghrelin and total adiponectin plasma concentrations and anthropometric measurements (BMI, WHR- waist–hip ratio, body composition analysis) were performed. The evaluation of energy and nutrient intakes was made using the three-day food record method. Results: Excessive body weight was found in 92.80% patients. The average daily energy intake was 1979.67 kcal/day (14.45% protein energy, 28.86% fat, and carbohydrates 56.89%). In the group with eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 the analysis showed a negative relationship between ghrelin and WHR value, and the creatine and albumin concentrations. There was a positive correlation between ghrelin concentration and the consumption of carbohydrates and sucrose. In the group of patients with eGFR > 30 mL/min/1.73 m2, a positive correlation was found between the concentration of ghrelin and the consumption of vegetable protein, carbohydrates, and glucose. Conclusions: The study confirms the high prevalence of obesity in patients with DN-Excessive supply of protein was found in the patients’ diets, which may contribute to the deterioration of the course of the disease and its prognosis. In patients with eGFR < 30 there was a negative correlation between ghrelin concentration and nutritional status, and in patents with eGFR > 30 between ghrelin concentration and some nutrients intake.

Gastrointestinal Motility and Gut Hormone Secretion in response to Shenhuang Plaster in a Postoperative Ileus Rat Model

Postoperative ileus (POI), a gastrointestinal function disorder, is a complication that arises from surgery. Shenhuang plaster (SHP) application to the Shenque acupoint (CV8) to promote the recovery of gastrointestinal function has achieved definite curative effects in clinical settings; however, the underlying pharmacological mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we evaluated the effects of SHP using a Sprague Dawley rat POI model. Then, gastrointestinal transit in different rat groups was evaluated by the movement of fluorescein-labelled dextran. Ghrelin, obestatin, motilin (MTL), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) plasma concentrations were measured via a radioimmunoassay. The expression of the ghrelin and obestatin receptors (GHS-R1α and GPR39) in the intestinal muscularis of rats in different groups was comparatively identified via western blotting. The results indicated that SHP application improved gastrointestinal motility in POI model rats. SHP application significantly increased ghrelin concentration and the expression of its receptor and inhibited obestatin concentration and the expression of its receptor in blood. Further, ghrelin concentration and the capability of gastrointestinal transit were positively correlated. Simultaneously, SHP application also promoted the secretion of other gastrointestinal motility hormones, such as MTL and VIP. Hence, these results provide evidence that SHP can promote the recovery of gastrointestinal transmission in POI rat models through regulation of ghrelin and other intestinal hormones.

Possible involvement of the dopamine D2 receptors of ventromedial hypothalamus in the control of free- and scheduled-feeding and plasma ghrelin level in rat

Objectives We investigated effect of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) dopamine D2 receptor inhibition on food intake and plasma ghrelin following chronic free or scheduled meal with different caloric intakes. Methods Male Wistar rats (220–250 g) were fed diets containing free (control) or three scheduled diets of standard, restricted and high-fat for 1 month. The animals stereotaxically received an intra VMH single dose of sulpiride (0.005 µg)/or saline (0.5 µL) before meal time. Thirty minutes later, food intake and circulating ghrelin were measured. Results Sulpiride significantly reduced food intake and ghrelin concentration in freely fed and scheduled-standard diet (p<0.05), while increased food intake, with ghrelin level on fasted level in scheduled-restricted group (p<0.01) compared to control. Food intake and ghrelin concentration between scheduled-high fat and freely fed or scheduled-standard diets did not show significant changes. Conclusions The VMH D2 receptors are possibly involved in controlling scheduled eating behavior, depending on energy balance context.

Unacylated ghrelin, leptin, and appetite display diurnal rhythmicity in lean adults.

Constant routine and forced desynchrony protocols typically remove the effects of behavioural/environmental cues to examine endogenous circadian rhythms, yet this may not reflect rhythms of appetite regulation in the real world. It is therefore important to understand these rhythms within the same subjects under controlled diurnal conditions of light, sleep and feeding. Ten healthy adults (9M/1F, Mean ±SD: age: 30 ± 10 y; BMI: 24.1 ± 2.7 kg·m-2) rested supine in the laboratory for 37 hours. All data were collected during the final 24 hours of this period (i.e. 0800 - 0800 h). Participants were fed hourly isocaloric liquid meal replacements alongside appetite assessments during waking before a sleep opportunity from 2200-0700 h. Hourly blood samples were collected throughout the 24-h period. A diurnal rhythm in mean plasma unacylated ghrelin concentration was identified (p=0.04), with the acrophase occurring shortly after waking (08:19 h), falling to a nadir in the evening with a relative amplitude of 9%. Plasma leptin concentration also exhibited a diurnal rhythm (p<0.01), with the acrophase occurring shortly after lights-out (00:32 h) and the lowest concentrations at midday. The amplitude for this rhythm was 25%. Diurnal rhythms were established in all dimensions of appetite except for sweet preference (p=0.29), with both hunger (21:03) and prospective food consumption (19:55) reaching their peak in the evening before falling to their nadir shortly after waking. Under controlled diurnal conditions, simultaneous measurement of leptin, unacylated ghrelin, and subjective appetite over a 24-hour period revealed rhythmicity in appetite regulation in lean, healthy humans.

BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN RESISTIN, ADIPONECTIN, VISFATIN AND GHRELIN HORMONES WITH SOME COAGULATION MARKERS

This study was aimed to investigate the biological association between resistin, adiponectin, visfatin and ghrelin hormones with some coagulation markers. The study included 130 patient and 42 healthy subjects. Serum resistin, adiponectin, visfatin, ghrelin and some other hematological and biochemical parameters were estimated. Statistical analysis showed that altered resistin, adiponectin, visfatin, and ghrelin levels were significantly and directly or indirectly through insulin resistance (IR) associated with clotting markers. From the main studied levels of adipokines, ghrelin, and clotting parameters, the study indicated high levels of serum resistin, adiponectin, visfatin and ghrelin hormones in NIDDM, ESRD, NIDDM+ESRD patients. Also, altered platelets (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial prothrombin time (aPPT), plasminogen activator inhibitor- 1 (PAI-1), and fibrinogen1 were observed. The studied adipocytokines and ghrelin concentration was correlated directly and indirectly through IR with the studied clotting parameters.