The orexigenic hormone ghrelin defends against depressive symptoms of chronic stress

Nat Neurosci. 2008 Jul;11(7):752-3. doi: 10.1038/nn.2139. Epub 2008 Jun 15.

Abstract

We found that increasing ghrelin levels, through subcutaneous injections or calorie restriction, produced anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like responses in the elevated plus maze and forced swim test. Moreover, chronic social defeat stress, a rodent model of depression, persistently increased ghrelin levels, whereas growth hormone secretagogue receptor (Ghsr) null mice showed increased deleterious effects of chronic defeat. Together, these findings demonstrate a previously unknown function for ghrelin in defending against depressive-like symptoms of chronic stress.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Caloric Restriction / methods
  • Depression / etiology
  • Depression / prevention & control*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Eating / drug effects
  • Eating / genetics
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Freezing Reaction, Cataleptic / drug effects
  • Freezing Reaction, Cataleptic / physiology
  • Ghrelin / administration & dosage*
  • Ghrelin / metabolism
  • Maze Learning / physiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Motor Activity / drug effects
  • Motor Activity / genetics
  • Orexin Receptors
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / deficiency
  • Receptors, Ghrelin / deficiency
  • Receptors, Neuropeptide / deficiency
  • Stress, Psychological / complications*
  • Stress, Psychological / genetics
  • Swimming
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Ghrelin
  • Orexin Receptors
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Receptors, Ghrelin
  • Receptors, Neuropeptide