The Roles of Motilin and Ghrelin in Gastrointestinal Motility

Abstract

In structure, ghrelin resembles motilin. The two peptides are considered to be members of the motilin-ghrelin peptide family. Motilin is considered to be an endocrine regulator of the interdigestive migrating contractions, the fasted motor pattern in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It has been reported that ghrelin stimulates GI motility. The gastrokinetic capacity of ghrelin has been well documented in the rodent. However, there have been few positive reports of the gastrokinetic capacity of ghrelin in dogs. Some reports with human subjects have shown that an i.v. ghrelin injection accelerated gastric emptying of a meal and improved meal-related symptoms. These results suggest that ghrelin has potential as a prokinetic. However, it seems unlikely that plasma ghrelin would play a physiological role in these digestive physiological events and stimulate gastric emptying, as these outcomes would appear to be in contradiction with the suppression of the endogenous release of ghrelin after eating. The physiological roles of ghrelin need to be clarified.

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

“…In this scenario, the actions of alternative ghrelin gene-derived peptides could shed some light on this controversy, in that, for example, obestatin has been shown to attenuate the hypothermic response of ghrelin gene KO mice (Szentirmai et al 2009), thereby suggesting a complex regulation of body temperature by the ghrelin system. Gastric motility and acid secretion AG is a potent accelerator of gastric emptying and a stimulator of GI motility in humans (Tack et al 2006), rats (Trudel et al 2002, and mice (Masuda et al 2000, Fujino et al 2003, Ariga et al 2007, Zheng et al 2009); while this effect was not observed in dogs (Ohno et al 2010). Indeed, gastric emptying is delayed in GHSR-deficient mice and, interestingly, these mice exhibited a reduction in the number of nerve cells in the gastric muscle, where GHSR is predominantly expressed .…”

Prokinetics stimulate the increase of ghrelin in mice

“…Because it is a well-established fact that acetylcholine provokes the increase in ghrelin (25), the relation between erythromycin and ghrelin can be anticipated in humans. On the other hand, rodents lack the motilin receptors (26). Nevertheless, several authors have reported a prokinetic feature of erythromycin in rodents (27,28).…”

Sekum Dilatasyonlu ve Omazum Konstipasyonlu Sütçü Sığırlarda Motilite Hormonlarının Değerlendirilmesi

“…Motilin and gastrin are synthesised in the upper gastrointestinal tract and have prokinetic activity on gastrointestinal motility [12] . Koenig et al [13] reported a maximal concentration of motilin receptors in the duodenum, with decreasing numbers in the equine jejunum, large colon (i.e., pelvic flexure) and caecum [14] .…”