Objective: Ghrelin is a 28 amino acid residue peptide identified in both human and rat stomach and which acts as an endogenous ligand for the GH secretagogue receptor (GHS-R) and stimulates GH release. GHS-Rs are expressed in a number of tissues, including the pancreas, and ghrelin-like immunoreactivity is present in peripheral plasma, where its levels increase during fasting and decrease after food intake. The relationship between nutritional status and circulating ghrelin concentrations prompted us to investigate the effect of this peptide on pancreatic hormone secretion. Methods: The study was performed in the isolated rat pancreas perfused in situ. Insulin, glucagon and somatostatin were measured by radioimmunoassay. Results: Addition of 10 nM ghrelin to the perfusate significantly reduced the insulin response to the secretagogues glucose, arginine and carbachol, which act on the B-cell via different mechanisms, as well as the somatostatin response to arginine. Ghrelin was without effect on the glucagon output induced by this amino acid. At a lower concentration (2 nM) ghrelin was also found to inhibit glucose-induced insulin release. Conclusion: These findings support the proposal that the inhibitory effect of ghrelin on insulin release constitutes a tonic regulation of the B-cell, contributing to restrain its secretory activity in the state of food deprivation. On the other hand, the inhibition of pancreatic somatostatin release by ghrelin suggests a blocking effect of this hormone on the widely distributed D-cell population.

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