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Circulating Preprandial Ghrelin to Obestatin Ratio Is Increased in Human Obesity

Department of Cardiovascular Diseases (Z.-F.G., X.Z., Y.-W.Q., J.-Q.H., S.-P.C.), Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; and Department of Endocrinology (Z.Z.), No. 411 Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Shanghai 200081, China

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Professor Xing Zheng, Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China. E-mail: zhengxing57530{at}163.com.

Context: Obestatin, a sibling of ghrelin derived from preproghrelin, opposes ghrelin’s effects on food intake. Plasma obestatin profiles in relation to ghrelin have not been fully investigated in human obesity.

Objective: We hypothesize that obesity might present with imbalance of circulating ghrelin and obestatin levels.

Participants and Setting: Sixteen obese (eight men, aged 58.8 ± 4.9 yr; eight women, aged 59.9 ± 9.6 yr) and 14 normal-weight individuals (seven men, aged 52.7 ± 5.9 yr; seven women, aged 56.1 ± 4.9 yr) were evaluated at the in-patient department of Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, China.

Main Outcome Measures: Total plasma ghrelin and obestatin levels, 1 h before and 2 h after breakfast, were measured by RIA.

Results: Both preprandial plasma ghrelin levels (P < 0.01) and obestatin levels (P < 0.01) were lower in the obese compared with normal-weight controls. However, unexpectedly, the ratio of preprandial ghrelin to obestatin was higher in obese compared with normal-weight controls (P < 0.01) even after adjustment for gender and age (P < 0.01). The ratio of postprandial ghrelin to obestatin was decreased both in obese (P < 0.05) and controls (P < 0.01) compared with their preprandial levels. There were no significant differences in the ratio of postprandial ghrelin to obestatin between obese and normal-weight controls. Body mass index was positively correlated with and was a significantly independent determinant of the preprandial ghrelin to obestatin ratio.

Conclusion: Circulating preprandial ghrelin to obestatin ratio is elevated in human obesity. We suggest that high preprandial ghrelin to obestatin ratio may be involved in the etiology and pathophysiology of obesity.

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