Circulating ghrelin concentration is early altered in rats predisposed to obesity due to undernutrition during gestation in relation with alterations in the sympathetic drive to the stomach

A. P. GARCÍA; T. PRIEGO; M. PALOU; J. SÁNCHEZ; A. PALOU; C. PICÓ

Congreso; 19th European Congress on Obesity (ECO2012); 2012

European Association for the Study of Obesity

Introduction: Serum ghrelin concentration has been found to be reduced in obesity. We aimed to assess whether this alteration is present in the offspring of moderate caloric restricted rats during gestation, which represents a model of higher susceptibility to adult obesity, and to explore whether this could be related with lower gastric ghrelin secretion due to alterations in sympathetic innervation of the stomach. Methods: Offspring of control and 20% caloric-restricted dams during gestation (CR) were studied. Pups were exposed from weaning to the age of 4 months to a normal-fat diet. Serum ghrelin concentration was measured at the age of 25 days and 4 months. Ghrelin mRNA levels, the number of ghrelin positive cells (ghrelin+) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) protein levels were measured in the stomach at 25-days of life. Results: Adult CR male animals, but not females, exhibited higher body weight than their controls, but both males and females showed lower serum ghrelin concentration. This alteration was already present at 25-days of life, prior to any difference in body weight. At this juvenile age, no differences in gastric ghrelin mRNA levels either in the number of ghrelin+ were found between control and CR animals, however, stomach content of TH protein was lower in CR animals. Conclusion: Circulating ghrelin concentration seems to be early altered in a model of higher susceptibility to obesity in adulthood and this alteration does not seem to be associated with lower ghrelin production capacity but with specific alterations in sympathetic drive to the stomach.