Ghrelin in cardiovascular disease and atherogenesis

Abstract

Although initially associated with regulation of appetite, the cardiovascular system has also been recognized as a potentially important target for ghrelin. Moreover, a limited number of clinical studies suggest a role for ghrelin in the treatment of congestive heart failure. So far reported cardiovascular effects of growth hormone secretagogues and/or ghrelin include lowering of peripheral resistance, either direct at the vascular level and/or by modulating sympathetic nervous activity. Other observed effects indicate possible improvement of contractility and cardioprotective effects both in vivo and in vitro.Taken together, these results offer an interesting perspective on the future where further studies aiming at evaluating a role of GHS and ghrelin in the treatment of cardiovascular disease are warranted.

The Role of Ghrelin in Senescence: A Mini-Review

“…Ghrelin may also act directly on CNS to alter the sensitivity of CNS neurons to other hormones participating in the regulation of sympathetic activity. Exogenous ghrelin reduces the plasma levels of epinephrine and dopamine, thus shifting the balance of autonomic nervous activity toward parasympathetic nervous activity [30]. …”

Ghrelin gene products, receptors, and GOAT enzyme: biological and pathophysiological insight

“…Similarly, AG treatment reduces inflammatory response, apoptosis and oxidative stress, and preserves the cardiac pumping function in a rat model of cardiopulmonary bypass through GHSR1a and Akt signaling (Cao et al 2013). In addition, AG exerts a protective effect against ischemia/reperfusion injury (Chang et al 2004), probably through a direct effect on the heart (Kishimoto et al 2012) and also exerts a vasodilatory effect in the vasculature (Isgaard & Granata 2011, Lacerda-Miranda et al 2012, which may be of potential importance for the development of atherosclerosis. Finally, a therapeutic benefit of ghrelin in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension has also been suggested, particularly in subjects prone to chronic hypoxia, a state that elevates pulmonary arterial pressure and increases the wall thickness of peripheral pulmonary arteries, because ghrelin treatment can attenuate, in rats, the hypoxia-induced development of pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary vascular remodeling (Kishimoto et al 2012).…”

Potential ghrelin-mediated benefits and risks of hydrogen water

“…Ghrelin is also of notable interest for its vascular-protective effects [68][69][70][71]. These appear to stem largely from the fact that ghrelin stimulates increased expression and increased activation of the nitric oxide synthase in endothelial cells and endothelial progenitor cells, an effect which may in part be attributable to activation of PI3K and AMPK in these cells [72][73][74][75][76].…”