Obestatin: An Interesting but Controversial Gut Hormone

Abstract

Obestatin is a 23-amino acid peptide hormone released from the stomach and is present not only in the gastrointestinal tract, but also in the spleen, mammary gland, breast milk and plasma. Obestatin appears to function as part of a complex gut-brain network whereby hormones and substances from the stomach and intestines signal the brain about satiety or hunger. In contrast to ghrelin, which causes hyperphagia and obesity, obestatin appears to act as an anorectic hormone, decreasing food intake and reducing body weight gain. Further studies have shown that obestatin is also involved in improving memory, regulating sleep, affecting cell proliferation, increasing the secretion of pancreatic juice enzymes and inhibiting glucose-induced insulin secretion. This hormone has not only been studied in the field of physiology but also in the fields of obesity and diabetes mellitus, and in patients with psychogenic eating disorders. Obestatin has a role in regulating the cell cycle by exerting proliferative effects that may be seen in cell physiology and oncology. Given the current controversy regarding the effects of obestatin and its cognate ligand, this article provides the latest review of the physiological and pathological characteristics of this hormone.

Low prevalence of obesity in Behçet’s disease is associated with high obestatin level

“…Obestatin is a 23-amino acid peptide hormone that is derived from the posttranslational cleavage of preproghrelin and released from the stomach (6,34). In contrast to ghrelin, which has orexigenic properties, obestatin may have anorectic effects (6,34).…”

“…Obestatin is a peptide hormone derived from preproghrelin. It also has a role in regulating food intake and energy expenditures (6). In addition to energy homeostasis, some evidence suggests that ghrelin has direct anti-inflammatory effects (7,8).…”

Ghrelin and obestatin in thyroid gland — immunohistochemical expression in nodular goiter, papillary and medullary cancer

“…Studies demonstrating its function (related e.g. to food intake or gastric emptying) conflict to those that reveal no biological activity of obestatin [10,11].…”

Loss of muscle mass: Current developments in cachexia and sarcopenia focused on biomarkers and treatment

“…91 Other than inflammatory cytokines, like IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α, which are associated with anorexia and weight loss, 92,93 hormonal factors have been postulated to play a role in development in muscle loss, especially in cachexia. 94,95 Such factors include for instance leptin, 96 ghrelin, 97 and obestatin 98 which are all thought to play a major role in cancer cachexia. These emerging biomarkers were MMP-generated degradation fragment of collagen 6 (C6M) 68 Type VI collagen N-terminal globular domain epitope (IC6) 68 N-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen (P3NP) 69 C-terminal agrin fragment (CAF) 69 Methyl-d 3 -Methylhistidine (D-3MH) 70 Growth differentiating factor-15 (GDF-15) 71 Follistatin (FST) 72 Irisin 72 Ghrelin 73 Leptin 73 β-Dystroglycan 74 Dystrophin 74 Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5a (TRACP5a) [75][76][77][78] MMP, matrix metalloproteinase.…”