Abstract
Apart from the well known effect of ghrelin in the stimulation of pituitary hormones and in the control of food intake and energy balance, ghrelin has been hypothesized to play an important role in many other endocrine and nonendocrine functions. In this context, gonadal and adrenal glands have very recently been exposed as potential targets of ghrelin action, based on a high number of binding sites found in both female and male gonads and in adrenals. In addition, the intratissutal presence of this hormone shown in the glands mentioned above of different species make it possible to hypothesize an autocrine/paracrine ghrelin role. This hormone is able to modulate in vitro steroidogenesis in gonads and to stimulate proliferation in adrenal cortex. On the other hand, steroids per se are able to modify in vivo ghrelin concentrations. The changes of basal circulating ghrelin levels related to the pathological variations of sexual steroid hormones as observed in patients affected by polycystic ovary syndrome and hypogonadism make it possible to include sexual hormones as one of the main important regulators of ghrelin synthesis or secretion. This new evidence provides emphasis to the concept that ghrelin should also be considered as a new powerful link between reproduction and the metabolic processes.
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Pagotto, U., Gambineri, A., Vicennati, V., Pasquali, R. (2004). A New Interaction to Come: Ghrelin and Steroid Hormones. In: Ghigo, E., Benso, A., Broglio, F. (eds) Ghrelin. Endocrine Updates, vol 23. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-7971-0_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-7971-0_13
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