Tokudome Takeshi, Kishimoto Ichiro, Miyazato Mikiya, Kangawa Kenj
Department of Biochemistry, Suita, Japan.
Front Horm Res. 2014;43:125-33. doi: 10.1159/000360593. Epub 2014 Jun 10.
Ghrelin is a peptide that was originally isolated from the stomach. It exerts potent growth hormone (GH)-releasing and orexigenic activities. Several studies have highlighted the therapeutic benefits of ghrelin for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. In animal models of chronic heart failure, the administration of ghrelin improved cardiac function and remodeling; these findings were replicated in human patients with heart failure. Moreover, in an animal study, ghrelin administration effectively reduced pulmonary hypertension induced by chronic hypoxia. In addition, repeated administration of ghrelin to cachectic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had positive effects on overall body function, including muscle wasting, functional capacity and sympathetic activity. The administration of ghrelin early after myocardial infarction (MI) reduced fatal arrhythmia and related mortality. In ghrelin-deficient mice, both exogenous and endogenous ghrelin were protective against fatal arrhythmia and promoted remodeling after MI. Although the mechanisms underlying the effects of ghrelin on the cardiovascular system remain unclear, there are indications that its beneficial effects are mediated through both direct physiological actions, including increased GH levels, improved energy balance and direct actions on cardiovascular cells, and regulation of autonomic nervous system activity. Therefore, ghrelin is a promising novel therapeutic agent for cardiovascular disease.
胃饥饿素是一种最初从胃中分离出来的肽。它具有强大的生长激素（GH）释放和促食欲活性。多项研究强调了胃饥饿素在治疗心血管疾病方面的治疗益处。在慢性心力衰竭的动物模型中，给予胃饥饿素可改善心脏功能和重塑；这些发现也在心力衰竭的人类患者中得到了验证。此外，在一项动物研究中，给予胃饥饿素可有效降低慢性缺氧诱导的肺动脉高压。此外，对患有慢性阻塞性肺疾病的恶病质患者反复给予胃饥饿素对整体身体功能有积极影响，包括肌肉萎缩、功能能力和交感神经活动。心肌梗死（MI）后早期给予胃饥饿素可降低致命性心律失常及相关死亡率。在胃饥饿素缺乏的小鼠中，外源性和内源性胃饥饿素均对致命性心律失常具有保护作用，并促进MI后的重塑。尽管胃饥饿素对心血管系统作用的潜在机制尚不清楚，但有迹象表明其有益作用是通过直接的生理作用介导的，包括增加GH水平、改善能量平衡以及对心血管细胞的直接作用，以及自主神经系统活动的调节。因此，胃饥饿素是一种有前途的心血管疾病新型治疗药物。
