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Ghrelin Expression in Islet Cell Tumors: Augmented Expression of Ghrelin in a Case of Glucagonoma with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasm Type I

Departments of Medicine and Clinical Science (H.I., K.H., C.S., J.F., T.T., K.T., Y.O., T.H., G.I., T.A., K.N.) and Surgery and Surgical Basic Science (R.D., I.K., M.I.), Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507; Department of Life Science (K.H.), Kyoto University Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto 606-8501; Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology (H.N.), Osaka Saiseikai Nakatsu Hospital, Osaka 530-0012; and Department of Biochemistry (H.H., M.K., K.K.), National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Osaka 565-8565, Japan

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Kiminori Hosoda, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan. E-mail: kh{at}kuhp.kyooto-u.ac.jp.

Abstract

Ghrelin is a 28-amino acid peptide that regulates GH release together with GHRH and somatostatin. The expression of ghrelin has been detected in the stomach, small intestine, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, kidney, placenta, and testis. Recently it was reported that ghrelin is present in pancreatic -cells and that it stimulates insulin secretion. In this study, we examined the ghrelin expression in two cases of glucagonoma and two cases of insulinoma by Northern blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Ghrelin expression was identified in a case of glucagonoma associated with multiple endocrine neoplasm type I both by Northern blot analysis using total RNA and by immunohistochemistry, although the plasma ghrelin level was not elevated. This is the first case of tumor in which ghrelin gene expression was detected by Northern blot analysis using total RNA.

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