[Relationship between ghrelin and food intake or obesity].

ABSTRACT

Ghrelin, an endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, is mainly produced by the stomach, but its expression has also been demonstrated in many other tissues. It has diverse biological effects. ghrelin stimulates food intake and regulates energy homeostasis through activating the expression of the orexigenic neuropeptides NPY (neuropeptide Y)/AGRP (agouti-related protein) in hypothalamic neurons, by which it plays a key role in obesity pathogenesis. This article simply introduces the recent research on its molecular structure, distribution, physiological effects and highlights the relationship between ghrelin and food intake as well as obesity.