National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Osaka, Japan.
J Cardiol. 2012 Jan;59(1):8-13. doi: 10.1016/j.jjcc.2011.11.002. Epub 2011 Dec 16.
In 1999, a peptide from the stomach called ghrelin was discovered, which exerts potent growth hormone releasing powers. Subsequent studies revealed that it exerts a potent orexigenic action. In addition, the beneficial effects of ghrelin in cardiovascular diseases have been recently suggested. In humans as well as in animals, administration of ghrelin improves cardiac function and remodeling in chronic heart failure. In an animal model for myocardial infarction, ghrelin treatment early after coronary ligation effectively reduces fatal arrhythmia and, consequently, mortality, suggesting the potential therapeutic role of the peptide in acute myocardial infarction. Although how ghrelin may influence the cardiovascular system is not fully understood, the cardiovascular beneficial effects are mediated possibly through a combination of various actions, such as an increase in growth hormone level, an improvement in energy balance, direct actions to the cardiovascular cells, and regulation of the autonomic nervous activity. Of note, current experimental evidence suggests that ghrelin may act centrally to decrease sympathetic nervous system activity through peripheral afferent nerve. Thus, administration of ghrelin might become a unique new therapy for cardiovascular diseases.
1999 年，一种名为 ghrelin 的胃肽被发现，它具有强大的生长激素释放作用。随后的研究表明，它具有很强的食欲刺激作用。此外，最近有人提出 ghrelin 对心血管疾病有有益的影响。在人类和动物中，给予 ghrelin 可改善慢性心力衰竭时的心脏功能和重塑。在心肌梗死的动物模型中，ghrelin 在冠状动脉结扎后早期治疗可有效减少致命性心律失常，从而降低死亡率，这表明该肽在急性心肌梗死中的潜在治疗作用。尽管 ghrelin 如何影响心血管系统尚不完全清楚，但心血管的有益作用可能是通过多种作用的组合介导的，例如生长激素水平的增加、能量平衡的改善、对心血管细胞的直接作用以及自主神经活动的调节。值得注意的是，目前的实验证据表明，ghrelin 可能通过外周传入神经在中枢发挥作用，从而降低交感神经系统的活性。因此，ghrelin 的给药可能成为心血管疾病的一种独特的新疗法。
