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Reduced plasma ghrelin concentrations are associated with decreased brain reactivity to food cues after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.
Li, G, Ji, G, Hu, Y, Liu, L, Jin, Q, Zhang, W, Liu, L, Wang, Y, Zhao, J, von Deneen, KM, et al
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2019;:229-236
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Abstract
The "hunger" hormone ghrelin regulates food-intake and preference for high-calorie (HC) food through modulation of the mesocortico-limbic dopaminergic pathway. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is an effective bariatric surgery to treat morbid obesity. We tested the hypothesis that LSG-induced reductions in appetite and total ghrelin levels in blood are associated with reduced prefrontal brain reactivity to food cues. A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) cue-reactivity task with HC and low-calorie (LC) food pictures was used to investigate brain reactivity in 22 obese participants tested before and one month after bariatric surgery (BS). Nineteen obese controls (Ctr) without surgery were also tested at baseline and one-month later. LSG significantly decreased (1) fasting plasma concentrations of total ghrelin, leptin and insulin, (2) craving for HC food, and (3) brain activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in response to HC vs. LC food cues (PFWE < 0.05). LSG-induced reduction in DLPFC activation to food cues were positively correlated with reduction in ghrelin levels and reduction in craving ratings for food. Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) connectivity analyses showed that the right DLPFC had stronger connectivity with the ventral anterior cingulate cortex (vACC) after LSG, and changes in BMI were negatively correlated with changes in connectivity between the right DLPFC and vACC in the LSG group only. These findings suggest that LSG-induced weight-loss may be related to reductions in ghrelin, possibly leading to decreased food craving and hypothetically reducing DLPFC response to the HC food cues.
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Effects of probiotics on ghrelin and lungs in children with acute lung injury: A double-blind randomized, controlled trial.
Wang, Y, Gao, L, Yang, Z, Chen, F, Zhang, Y
Pediatric pulmonology. 2018;(2):197-203
Abstract
AIM: To assess the effects of probiotics on serum ghrelin levels and protection for lungs in children with acute lung injury (ALI). METHODS This study was performed as a double-blind, randomized, and controlled trial in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The eligible children with ALI were assigned to either probiotic treatment or an identical placebo for 10 days. Serum ghrelin, SP-A(surfactant protein-A), TNF-α, and IL-6 concentrations were assessed at baseline and at the end of trial. Meanwhile, pulmonary function test and echocardiography were examined, then VPEF (volume to peak tidal expiratory flow), TPEF/TE (the ratio of time taken to reach peak expiratory flow to total expiratory time), MAP (mean arterial pressure), and PAP (pulmonary artery pressure) were recorded. RESULTS Eighty participants fulfilled the study requirements with 40 children for each group. The groups were comparable in baseline characteristics. Serum SP-A, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels in the probiotic group were 212.6 ± 52.9 ng/mL, 401.9 ± 56.4 pg/mL, and 245.1 ± 55.1 pg/mL on day 10, respectively, significantly lower levels compared to the control group where the same parameters were 248.2 ± 57 ng/mL, 449.4 ± 60.1 pg/mL, and 308.3 ± 92.2 pg/mL (P < 0.01). However, ghrelin concentrations were elevated in the intervention group (P < 0.05). On measurement of pulmonary function, the probiotic group demonstrated a VPEF of 26.1 ± 4.2 mL and TPEF/TE of 29.1 ± 4.7%, which were higher than the control group (24.7 ± 4.3 mL and 26.9 ± 4.7%, respectively) (P < 0.05). MAP and PAP also improved in the probiotic group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, ghrelin, SP-A, TNF-α, IL-6, and PAP were negatively correlated. Positive correlations were found between ghrelin, TPEF/TE, and MAP. There were no probiotic-associated adverse events during the observation. CONCLUSION Probiotics administrated to children with ALI alleviates the inflammation of lungs, improves pulmonary function and circulation by ghrelin.