Ghrelin: a hypothalamic GH-releasing factor in domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus)

Abstract

Ghrelin, a recently discovered peptide in the mammalian hypothalamus and gastrointestinal tract is thought to be the endogenous ligand for the GH secretagogue (GHS) receptor and it stimulates GH release in rats and humans. The possibility that ghrelin is present in birds was therefore assessed, since a GHS receptor is present in the chicken pituitary gland.Although immunoreactive ghrelin is readily detectable in the rat stomach and ileum, ghrelin immunoreactivity could not be detected in the chicken proventriculus, stomach, ileum or colon, whereas somatostatin immunoreactivity, in contrast and as expected, was readily detectable in the chicken gastrointestinal tract. Ghrelin immunoreactivity was, however, present in the chicken hypothalamus, although not in the arcuate (infundibular) nucleus, as in rats. Discrete parvocellular cells and neuronal fibers with ghrelin immunoreactivity were present in the anterior medial hypothalamus. This immunoreactivity was specific and completely abolished following the preabsorption of the antibody with an excess of human ghrelin. Ghrelin immunoreactivity was also present in clusters of large ovoid magnocellular cells in the nucleus magnocellularis preopticus pars medialis, nucleus magnocellularis preopticus supraopticus and in the chiasmaopticus. Immunoreactivity for ghrelin was restricted to the cytoplasm of the perikarya and their axonal sprouts. Immunoreactivity for ghrelin was not seen in any other hypothalamic nuclei.In a preliminary experiment, circulating GH concentrations in conscious immature chicks were promptly increased following bolus i.v. administration of human ghrelin. The increase in GH concentration (approximately three times that in the controls) was comparable with that induced by the same dose (10 µg/kg) of human GHreleasing hormone, although less than that (approximately sixfold) induced by thyrotropin-releasing hormone.These results demonstrate the presence of a ghrelin-like protein in the chicken hypothalamus and suggest that it participates in the regulation of GH secretion in birds.

Leptin, ghrelin, and energy metabolism of the spawning burbot (Lota lota, L.)

“…In rodents, exogenous ghrelin stimulates appetite and GH excretion (Kojima et al, '99;Tschöp et al, 2000). A ghrelin-induced stimulation of GH secretion has also been observed in immature chicks (Ahmed and Harvey, 2002) and bullfrogs (Kaiya et al, 2001). The food intake of neonatal chicks, on the other hand, is suppressed by exogenous ghrelin (Furuse et al, 2001).…”

“…Ghrelin levels of mammals are increased by fasting and suppressed by refeeding and obesity (Tschöp et al, 2000(Tschöp et al, , 2001. Exogenous ghrelin elevates blood growth hormone (GH) levels in rodents (Kojima et al,'99) and immature chicks (Ahmed and Harvey, 2002). In the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), ghrelin stimulates GH secretion in vitro (Kaiya et al, 2001).…”

Peripheral ghrelin inhibits feed intake through hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis-dependent mechanism in chicken

“…It was shown that avian ghrelin elevates GH level in dose and time dependent manner (Ahmed and Harvey, 2002;Baudet and Harvey, 2003). However, the main difference in ghrelin function between birds and mammals relates its role in the regulation of feed intake.…”

Immunohistochemical distribution of ghrelin positive cells in the abomasum of sheep

“…Sakata et al (11) demonstrated that ghrelin producing cells of the rat located in the mucosal layer of the stomach, fundus, duodenum, ileum, cecum and colon. Ahmed and Harvey (1) showed that ghrelin immunopositive cells existed in the chicken hypotalamus but not in the chicken proventriculus. Huang et al (5) investigated the distrubition of ghrelin mRNA of different tissues in sheep.…”