Obestatin, acyl ghrelin, and des-acyl ghrelin responses to an oral glucose tolerance test in the restricting type of anorexia nervosa

Background: Obestatin is a recently identified peptide encoded by the same ghrelin gene. It has been reported that obestatin has anorexigenic and antigastroprokinetic activities as opposed toghrelin. We investigated simultaneously obestatin, acyl ghrelin,and des-acyl ghrelin in the restricting type of anorexia nervosa (AN-R) patients. Methods: Three hormonal responses to the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were measured in 10 AN-R patients and 10 healthy women. Results: Plasma obestatin, acyl ghrelin, and des-acyl ghrelin levels were significantly higher in AN-R patients than in control subjects throughout the OGTT. All of the three hormones decreased after the OGTT in both groups. Conclusions: We found that AN-R patients exhibited increased plasma levels of obestatin, acyl ghirelin, and des-acyl ghrelin throughout the OGTT compared with control subjects. The hormonal differences between groups are statistically most significant in obestatin, suggesting obestatin may serve as a marker reflecting both acute and chronic changes of the nutritional state in AN-R patients.