Wisser Anna-Sophia, Habbel Piet, Wiedenmann Bertram, Klapp Burghard F, Mönnikes Hubert, Kobelt Peter
Division Hepatology, Gastroenterology, and Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
Int J Pept. 2010;2010. doi: 10.1155/2010/817457. Epub 2010 Jan 6.
Food intake behaviour and energy homeostasis are strongly regulated by a complex system of humoral factors and nerval structures constituting the brain-gut-axis. To date the only known peripherally produced and centrally acting peptide that stimulates food intake is ghrelin, which is mainly synthesized in the stomach. Recent data indicate that the orexigenic effect of ghrelin might be influenced by other gastrointestinal peptides such as cholecystokinin (CCK), bombesin, desacyl ghrelin, peptide YY (PYY), as well as glucagon-like peptide (GLP). Therefore, we will review on the interactions of ghrelin with several gastrointestinal factors known to be involved in appetite regulation in order to elucidate the interdependency of peripheral orexigenic and anorexigenic peptides in the control of appetite.