Expression of adropin in rat brain, cerebellum, kidneys, heart, liver, and pancreas in streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

We have investigated how diabetes affects the expression of adropin (ADR) in rat brain, cerebellum, kidneys, heart, liver, and pancreas tissues. The rats in the diabetic group were administered an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of a single dose of 60 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) dissolved in a 0.1 M phosphate-citrate buffer (pH 4.5). The rats were maintained in standard laboratory conditions in a temperature between 21 and 23 °C and a relative humidity of 70 %, under a 12-h light/dark cycle. The animals were fed a standard commercial pellet diet. After 10 weeks, the animals were sacrified. ADR concentrations in the serum and tissue supernatants were measured by ELISA, and immunohistochemical staining was used to follow the expression of the hormones in the brain, cerebellum, kidneys, heart, liver, and pancreas tissues. The quantities were then compared. Increased ADR immunoreaction was seen in the brain, cerebellum, kidneys, heart, liver, and pancreas in the diabetes-induced rats compared to control subjects. ADR was detected in the brain (vascular area, pia mater, neuroglial cell, and neurons), cerebellum (neuroglial cells, Purkinje cells, vascular areas, and granular layer), kidneys (glomerulus, peritubular interstitial cells, and peritubular capillary endothelial cells), heart (endocardium, myocardium, and epicardium), liver (sinusoidal cells), and pancreas (serous acini). Its concentrations (based on mg/wet weight tissues) in these tissues were measured by using ELISA showed that the levels of ADR were higher in the diabetic rats compared to the control rats. Tissue ADR levels based on mg/wet weight tissues were as follows: Pancreas > liver > kidney > heart > brain > cerebellar tissues. Evidence is presented that shows ADR is expressed in various tissues in the rats and its levels increased in STZ-induced diabetes; however, this effect on the pathophysiology of the disorder remains to be understood.

The effects of fever on hormone ghrelins, immunoglobulins, and heat shock protein 70 expression after swine flu vaccinations.

For analyzing the changes in immunoglobulins, HSP70, ghrelin levels in blood samples were collected from volunteers vaccinated against swine flu before the vaccinations and on days 3, and 15, and 1 and 2 months after the vaccination in the presence or absence of fever associated with the it. The study included 11 subjects having developed a fever, and 13 subjects not having a fever, and 20 control subjects. Immunoglobulins were measured by nephelometry, and HSP70 and ghrelins by appropriate ELISA tests. The level of ghrelin was reduced, while the level of HSP70 was significantly increased in subjects who developed fevers. When temperatures were normalized, both levels were found similar to the control group. These results indicate that the increase in serum immunoglobulins levels associated with vaccinations, along with, elevations in HSP70 and reduced ghrelin levels associated with fever, may be the important parameters in the clinical evaluation and follow-up of treatments with vaccines.

Immunohistochemical and quantitative analysis of ghrelin in Syzygium aromaticum.

Ghrelin, an endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, has been identified in mammals, fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles and some plants. The present investigation was designed to determine whether ghrelin is present in the appetite-stimulating plants Syzygium aromaticum and Salvadora persica, using IHC (immunohistochemistry) to indicate the location of the peptide and ELISA to measure the concentration. ELISA demonstrated that a ghrelin-like substance was present at concentrations of 4070.75±664.67 and 75.25±24.49 pg/mg in the tissues of flower bud of S. aromaticum and branch of S. persica, respectively. The concentration of ghrelin in human salivary gland tissue was 436.00±95.83 pg/mg. Ghrelin was predominantly localized to the T (trachea) and PCs (parenchyma cells) in the flower bud of S. aromaticum. However, no ghrelin immunoreactivity was observed in the PC or T of the branch of S. persica. The evolutionary role of this peptide hormone in plants and animals suggests that they have evolved in a more similar way than previously thought.

Fat-free milk as a therapeutic approach for constipation and the effect on serum motilin and ghrelin levels.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores the effects of fat-free milk supplementation on individuals with chronic constipation with regard to levels of motilin and acylated and des-acylated ghrelin (which affect intestinal motility) and compares them with data from control subjects given whole milk supplementation. METHODS: The investigation was designed according to the constipation severity test of individuals whose ages and body mass indexes were comparable. Individuals with mild constipation (n=10) were supplemented with 400 mL of fat-free milk daily; moderate constipation cases (n=10) were supplemented with 600 mL, and severe constipation cases (n=10) were supplemented with 800 mL of fat-free milk daily. Healthy control subjects were administered 400 mL of fat-free milk (group 1), which was followed a month later by administration of 400 mL of whole milk for 3 days (group 2). Blood samples were collected from the subjects before and after milk supplementation for hormone analyses. Motilin and acylated and des-acylated ghrelin were quantified with ELISA assay. RESULTS: Supplementation of fat-free milk significantly increased levels of circulating motilin and ghrelin in all groups, including the control subjects, but whole milk supplementation led to a decrease in these hormone levels in the control subjects. CONCLUSION: Drinking fat-free milk might be a new way of solving constipation.

Nesfatin-1 and ghrelin levels in serum and saliva of epileptic patients: hormonal changes can have a major effect on seizure disorders.

Nesfatin-1 and ghrelin are the two recently discovered peptide hormones involved in the control of appetite. Besides its main appetite-control function, ghrelin also has anticonvulsant effects, while nesfatin-1 causes depolarization in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). The aims of this study, therefore, were to investigate: (i) whether there are differences in the concentrations of nesfatin-1 and ghrelin in saliva and serum samples between eplilepsy patients and normal controls and (ii) whether salivary glands produce nesfatin-1. The study included a total of 73 subjects: 8 patients who were newly diagnosed with primary generalized seizures and had recently started antiepileptic drug therapy; 21 who had primary generalized seizures and were continuing with established antiepileptic drug therapy; 24 who had partial seizures (simple: n = 12 or complex: n = 12) and were continuing with established antiepileptic drug therapy; and 20 controls. Salivary gland tissue samples were analyzed for nesfatin-1 expression by immunochemistry and ELISA. Saliva and serum ghrelin levels were measured by ELISA and RIA, and nesfatin-1 levels by ELISA. Nesfatin-1 immunoreactivity was detected in the striated and interlobular parts of the salivary glands and the ducts. The nesfatin-1 level in the brain was around 12 times higher than in the salivary gland. Before antiepileptic treatment, both saliva and serum nesfatin-1 levels were around 160-fold higher in patients who are newly diagnosed with primary generalized epilepsy (PGE) than in controls; these levels decreased with treatment but remained about 10 times higher than the control values. Saliva and serum nesfatin-1 levels from patients with PGE and partial epilepsies who were continuing antiepileptic drugs were also 10-fold higher than control values. Serum and saliva ghrelin levels were significantly (twofold) lower in epileptic patients before treatment than in controls; they recovered somewhat with treatment but remained below the control values. These results suggest that the low ghrelin and especially the dramatically elevated nesfatin-1 levels might contribute to the pathophyisology of epilepsy. Therefore, serum and saliva ghrelin and especially the remarkably increased nesfatin-1 might be candidate biomarkers for the diagnosis of epilepsy and for monitoring the response to anti-epileptic treatment.