Neonatal Ghrelin Linked to Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

Neonatal ghrelin (gut-derived hormone) directly influences development in the part of the brain related to appetite and the regulation of metabolism. Our subconscious motivation to eat is powerfully and dynamically regulated by this hormone signals. The study by The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles suggests a link between maturation of the gut-brain axis and later susceptibility to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The body weight and energy balance are regulated by a sophisticated network of neural circuits, and at its center is a collection of neurons or nerve cells in the hypothalamus of the brain called the arcuate nucleus, which contains sets of neurons that are sensitive to peripheral signals, such as metabolic hormones. For example, when the stomach is empty, the gut secretes ghrelin that acts on the arcuate nucleus to initiate feeding. However, until lately, little was known about the importance of ghrelin on development of brain mechanisms regulating body weight and appetite.