The effects of inflammatory cytokines on the expression of ghrelin.

ABSTRACT

In the current study, we examined the effects of LPS and inflammatory cytokines including IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-6 on the expression of ghrelin in MGN3-1 cells. We found that IL-1ß, and TNF-α with lesser extent, significantly suppressed ghrelin mRNA expression in the cells. MGN3-1 cells expressed IL-1ß receptor and IL-1ß significantly stimulated NF-κB, p38, JNK, and ERK pathways. Knockdown of IKK2 by siRNA significantly attenuated the suppression of ghrelin mRNA by IL-1ß. These results indicate that IL-1ß directly suppressed ghrelin mRNA via NF-κB pathway at least partially, which may have a role in the regulation of appetite during inflammation.