Ghrelin and ghrelin autoabs in anorexia nervosa.

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24390182
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General internal medicine (including Psychosomatic medicine)
• Research Institution: Kagoshima University
• Principal Investigator: INUI Akio 鹿児島大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 教授 (80168418)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): ASAKAWA Akihiro 鹿児島大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 准教授 (10452947) ; ITO Yuji 鹿児島大学, 理工学部, 教授 (60223195)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KISHIDA Shosei 鹿児島大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 教授 (50274064) ; MIYATA Atsurou 鹿児島大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 教授 (60183969) ; YOSHIDA Masaru 神戸大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (00419475) ; KTO Ikuo 北陸大学, 薬学部, 教授 (70509843)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 神経性食欲不振症 / 食欲調節ペプチド自己抗体 / グレリン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The autoantibodies (autoAbs) against feeding-regulatory peptides such as αMSH are reported, with the serum levels being correlated with psychopathological traits in anorexia nervosa (AN) patients. We measured plasma levels of autoantibodies reactive with ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in patients with AN. We found the decrease of bioavailable ghrelin autoAbs may underlie the long-term elevation of plasma ghrelin levels and the relating phenomenon of ghrelin resistance in malnourished patients with AN. The purified ghrelin autoAbs, especially IgG type, failed to affect feeding behavior in rodents after intra-cerebroventricular injection with ghrelin. Although we could not identify the novel peptide, we successfully identified a new peptide receptor related to ghrelin that could be of importance in feeding and other behaviors. We also performed metabolome analysis in AN and identified several changes in low MW substances (in preparation).

Free Research Field

心身医学、心療内科学