Wang Guiyun, Lee Heung Man, Englander Ella, Greeley George H
Department of Surgery, Shriners Hospitals for Children and The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0725, USA.
Regul Pept. 2002 May 15;105(2):75-81. doi: 10.1016/s0167-0115(02)00012-5.
Growth hormone (GH) secretagogues (GHSs) are non-natural, synthetic substances that stimulate GH secretion via a G-protein-coupled receptor called the GHS-receptor (GHS-R). The natural ligand for the GHS-R has been identified recently; it is called ghrelin. Ghrelin and its receptor show a widespread distribution in the body; the greatest expression of ghrelin is in stomach endocrine cells. Administration of exogenous ghrelin has been shown to stimulate pituitary GH secretion, appetite, body growth and fat deposition. Ghrelin was probably designed to be a major anabolic hormone. Ghrelin also exerts several other activities in the stomach. The findings that ghrelin is produced in mucosal endocrine cells of the stomach and intestine, and that ghrelin is measurable in the general circulation indicate its hormonal nature. A maximal expression of ghrelin in the stomach suggests that there is a gastrointestinal hypothalamic-pituitary axis that influences GH secretion, body growth and appetite that is responsive to nutritional and caloric intakes.
生长激素（GH）促分泌素（GHSs）是一类非天然的合成物质，它们通过一种名为生长激素促分泌素受体（GHS-R）的G蛋白偶联受体来刺激生长激素的分泌。GHS-R的天然配体最近已被确定，它被称为胃饥饿素。胃饥饿素及其受体在体内分布广泛；胃饥饿素在胃内分泌细胞中的表达最为丰富。已证明给予外源性胃饥饿素可刺激垂体生长激素的分泌、食欲、身体生长和脂肪沉积。胃饥饿素可能被设计成为一种主要的合成代谢激素。胃饥饿素在胃中还发挥其他几种作用。胃饥饿素在胃和小肠的黏膜内分泌细胞中产生，并且在体循环中可检测到，这些发现表明了它的激素性质。胃饥饿素在胃中的最大表达表明存在一个胃肠-下丘脑-垂体轴，该轴影响生长激素的分泌、身体生长和食欲，并且对营养和热量摄入有反应。
