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Previously, we reported that exogenous administration of ghrelin ameliorates glucose metabolism in a neonate streptozotocin (STZ)- induced diabetic rat model through enhancement of β-cell proliferation. However, it was not clear whether the observed β-cell proliferation was a direct or indirect effect (e.g., via orexigenic or growth hormone-stimulated pathways) of ghrelin activity. Here, we aimed to investigate whether ghrelin directly impacts β-cell proliferation after STZ-induced injury in mice. Seven-week-old male rat insulin II promoter-ghrelin internal ribosomal sequence ghrelin O-acyltransferase transgenic (RIP-GG Tg) mice, which have elevated pancreatic ghrelin levels, but only minor changes in plasma ghrelin levels when fed a medium-chain triglyceride-rich diet, were treated with STZ. Then, serum insulin, pancreatic insulin mRNA expression, and islet histology were evaluated. We found that the serum insulin levels, but not blood glucose levels, of RIP-GG Tg mice were significantly ameliorated 14 days post-STZ treatment. Pancreatic insulin mRNA expression was significantly elevated in RIP-GG Tg mice, and β-cell numbers in islets were increased. Furthermore, the number of phos-phohistone H3+ or Ki67+ proliferating β-cells was significantly elevated in RIP-GG Tg mice, whereas the apoptotic indexes within the islets, as determined by TUNEL assay, were not changed. These results indicate that ghrelin can directly stimulate β-cell proliferation in vivo after β-cell injury even without its orexigenic or GHstimulating activities, although it did not have enough impact to normalize the glucose tolerance in adult mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Expression of mRNA for the ghrelin receptor, GHS-R1a, was detected in various peripheral and central tissues of fetal rats, including skin, bone, heart, liver, gut, brain and spinal cord, on embryonic day (ED)15 and ED17. However, its expression in skin, bone, heart and liver, but not in gut, brain and spinal cord, became relatively weak on ED19 and disappeared after birth (ND2). Ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin facilitated the proliferation of cultured fetal (ED17, 19), but not neonatal (ND2), skin cells. On the other hand, with regard to cells from the spinal cord and hypothalamus, the proliferative effect of ghrelin continued after birth, whereas the effect of des-acyl ghrelin on neurogenesis in these tissues was lost at the ED19 fetal and ND2 neonatal stages. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the cells in the hypothalamus induced to proliferate by ghrelin at the ND2 stage were positive for nestin and glial fibrillary acidic protein. These results suggest that in the period immediately prior to, and after birth, rat fetal cells showing proliferation in response to ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin are at a transitional stage characterized by alteration of the expression of GHS-R1a and an undefined des-acyl ghrelin receptor, their responsiveness varying among different tissues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]