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GRHELIN, H PYLORI AND OBESITY – THE PLOT THICKENS
The hormone ghrelin is released from the gastric fundus during fasting and stimulates food intake and gastric acid production. We have recently published a report that serum levels increase after H pylori eradication, raising the possibility that ghrelin suppression by H pylori might contribute to thin stature and avoidance of obesity-associated diseases. However, the present study shows that the situation in gerbils (which have proved a good model for aspects of H pylori associated pathogenesis) is not so simple. Chronically infected gerbils exhibited reduced gastric ghrelin concentrations, but because the inflamed stomach was enlarged total gastric ghrelin was unaffected. Gerbil weight was unchanged, and unexpectedly serum ghrelin levels were increased. Further studies are now needed in human adults and children – both observational and following H pylori eradication long term. Whether H pylori affect ghrelin dynamics in the longer term, and if this is important or not for avoidance of obesity and its associated diseases remains an important question to be answered.
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