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Chen X, Mi J, Huang H, Wang J, Wu Y, Wu X, Zhang S. Ghrelin and ghrelin receptor (GHSR) in Chinese alligator, alligator sinensis: Molecular characterization, tissue distribution and mRNA expression changes during the active and hibernating periods. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2022; 327:114097. [PMID: 35853503 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is a freshwater crocodilian endemic to China. So far, the endocrine regulation of feeding and growth in Chinese alligator is poorly understood. In this study, the molecular structure and tissue expression profiles of ghrelin and its receptor GHSR in the Chinese alligator were characterized for the first time. The full-length cDNA of ghrelin was 1770 bp, including a 37 bp 5 '-UTR (untranslated region), a 435 bp ORF (open reading frame) and a 1298 bp 3 '-UTR. The ORF encodes a ghrelin precursor, which consists of 145 amino acid residues, including a signal peptide with 52 amino acid residues at the N-terminus, a mature peptide with 28 amino acid residues, and a possibly obestain at the C-terminus. The full-length cDNA of GHSR was 3961 bp, including a 5'-UTR of 375-bp, an ORF of 1059-bp and a 3' -UTR of 2527-bp. The ORF encodes a protein of 352 amino acid residues containing seven transmembrane domains, with multiple N glycosylation modification sites and conserved cysteine residue sites. The active core "GSSF" of Chinese alligator ghrelin was identical to that of mammals and birds, and the ghrelin binding site of GHSR was similar to that of mammals. The amino acid sequences of both ghrelin and GHSR share high identity with American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and birds. Ghrelin was highly expressed in cerebrum, mesencephalon, hypothalamus and multiple peripheral tissues, including lung, stomach and intestine, suggesting that it could play functions in paracrine and/or autocrine manners in addition to endocrine manner. GHSR expression level was higher in hypothalamus, epencephalon and medulla oblongata, and moderate in multiple peripheral tissues including lung, kindey, stomach and oviduct, implicating that ghrelin/GHSR system may participate in the regulation of energy balance, food intake, water and mineral balance, gastrointestinal motility, gastric acid secretion and reproduction. During hibernation, the expression of ghrelin and GHSR in the brain was significantly increased, while ghrelin was significantly decreased in heart, liver, lung, stomach, pancreas and ovary, and GHSR was significantly decreased in heart, liver, spleen, lung, kindey, stomach, ovary and oviduct. These temporal changes in ghrelin and GHSR expression could facilitate the physiological adaption to the hibernation of Chinese alligator. Our study could provide basic data for further studies on the regulation of feeding, physiological metabolism and reproduction of Chinese alligator, which could also be useful for the improvement of artificial breeding of this endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianxian Chen
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Jicong Mi
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Hongbin Huang
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Yu Wu
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Xiaobing Wu
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Shengzhou Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China.
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Rusu CC, Racasan S, Moldovan D, Potra A, Tirinescu D, Budurea C, Orasan R, Patiu IM, Bondor C, Vladutiu D, Delean D, Danu A, Kacso IM. Ghrelin and acyl ghrelin levels are associated with inflammatory and nutritional markers and with cardiac and vascular dysfunction parameters in hemodialysis patients. Int Urol Nephrol 2018; 50:1897-1906. [PMID: 30006785 DOI: 10.1007/s11255-018-1933-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Exogenous ghrelin is associated with cardiovascular protection in experimental and human studies. Nevertheless ESRD patients have increased ghrelin levels and severe cardiovascular comorbidities. This study aims to elucidate the metabolic factors influencing endogenous ghrelin/acyl ghrelin levels and to analyze the relation between endogenous ghrelin/acyl ghrelin levels and cardiac and vascular function markers in hemodialysis patients. METHODS The cross-sectional study was conducted in hemodialysis patients (n = 88); 50 of them were men, mean age 61.1 ± 13.5 years, 17% had diabetes. We assessed nutritional and inflammatory status and analyzed the determinants of ghrelin/acyl ghrelin and their relation with cardiac and vascular function. RESULTS Ghrelin is correlated with IL-1β (r = 0.88, p < 0.0001), triglycerides, total cholesterol (TC), and Kt/V. IL-1β is the strongest predictor of ghrelin levels (p < 0.0001). Acyl ghrelin is correlated with TC (r = 0.36, p = 0.001), LDL-cholesterol, serum bicarbonate, body mass index. TC is the strongest predictor for acyl ghrelin levels (p = 0.038). Patients with high ghrelin levels had significantly decreased nitroglycerin-mediated dilation (p = 0.05) and higher IL-1β levels (p < 0.001); increased NT-proBNP is associated with lower levels of acyl ghrelin (r = - 0.33, p = 0.02) in male patients. CONCLUSION The inflammatory marker IL-1β is in our study the strongest predictor of ghrelin levels while the nutritional marker-total cholesterol is the strongest predictor for acyl ghrelin levels in HD patients. High endogenous ghrelin level is associated with high IL-1β and with vascular smooth muscle cell dysfunction. Low acyl ghrelin level is associated with high NT-proBNP (a cardiac dysfunction marker) in male HD patients. There is a direct correlation between endogenous ghrelin level and inflammatory markers, which is not related with cardiovascular protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crina Claudia Rusu
- Department of Nephrology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu" Cluj, 3-5 Clinicilor Street, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Simona Racasan
- Nefromed Dialysis Center, 40 Ana Aslan Street, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Diana Moldovan
- Department of Nephrology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu" Cluj, 3-5 Clinicilor Street, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Alina Potra
- Department of Nephrology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu" Cluj, 3-5 Clinicilor Street, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dacian Tirinescu
- Department of Nephrology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu" Cluj, 3-5 Clinicilor Street, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cristian Budurea
- Nefromed Dialysis Center, 40 Ana Aslan Street, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Remus Orasan
- Nefromed Dialysis Center, 40 Ana Aslan Street, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioan Mihai Patiu
- Nefromed Dialysis Center, 40 Ana Aslan Street, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cosmina Bondor
- Department of Informatics and Biostatistics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu" Cluj, 6 Pasteur Street, 400349, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dan Vladutiu
- Department of Nephrology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu" Cluj, 3-5 Clinicilor Street, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dan Delean
- Nefromed Dialysis Center, 40 Ana Aslan Street, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Alexandra Danu
- Nephrocare Dialysis Center Dej, 9 Gutinului Street, 405200, Dej, Romania
| | - Ina Maria Kacso
- Department of Nephrology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu" Cluj, 3-5 Clinicilor Street, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Abstract
A number of novel lipopeptides have been studied for their possible therapeutic potential. These studies should be supported by the appropriate analytical tools not only for novel potential drugs but also for their metabolites, precursors and side products. Lipopeptides have specific physicochemical properties that make them successful in medical applications. However, there are some difficulties with their qualitative and quantitative analyses in biological samples. Therefore, reliable, sensitive and robust analytical methods are in high demand. The main interest of our review is to describe a selection of specific and important properties of lipopeptides, and the analytical methods currently utilized for their characterization and determination in biological samples. A comparison of the pros and cons of immunomethods versus LC-MS methods is discussed in detail.
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