Development of new therapy of cardiac disease utilizing physiological effect of ghrelin

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25461082
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cardiovascular medicine
• Research Institution: National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute
• Principal Investigator: TOKUDOME TAKESHI 国立研究開発法人国立循環器病研究センター, 研究所, 室長 (00443474)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: グレリン / 心筋梗塞 / 心肥大 / 交感神経 / 副交感神経

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Ghrelin is a food intake promotion peptide that was discovered in the stomach by the group of Kenji kangawa (Director General, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute). We previously reported that ghrelin administration improves pathogenesis of myocardial infarction model. In the present study, we found that endogenous ghrelin improves pathogenesis of myocardial infarction and cardiac hypertrophy model, ghrelin protect the heart from remodeling after myocardial infarction and cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting sympathetic nervous activity and activating parasympathetic nervous activity, and also ghrelin receptor agonist; hexarelin improves pathogenesis of myocardial infarction model. These findings suggest that not only ghrelin but also hexarelin can be a therapeutic agent of cardiac diseases.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学