The role of ghrelin in thermo and blood pressure regulation bythe autonomic nervous system

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Ghrelin, the only circulating orexigenic hormone, increases appetite and food intake by stimulating the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus through vagal afferent neurons. Although ghrelin has been reported to play a crucial role in the regulation of the autonomic nervous system, its precise mechanisms or physiological relevance is not completely elucidated yet. Here we explored the existence of an abnormal circadian rhythm of blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and body temperature (BT) in ghrelin knockout (ghrl-/-) mice using telemetric automatic analysis system. It has been demonstrated that ghrelin, secreted from stomach, controls the tone balance of BP, HR, and BT through the regulation of central autonomic nervous system. Thus, ghrelin is a hormone to maintain the homeostasis of the autonomic nervous system as well as anaccelerating factor of food intake.