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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: JOE-08-0374v1 201/3/341    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mano-Otagiri, A. Articles by Shibasaki, T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mano-Otagiri, A. Articles by Shibasaki, T.

Department of Physiology, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan

(Correspondence should be addressed to A Mano-Otagiri; Email: asuka{at}nms.ac.jp)

To clarify the role of ghrelin in the regulatory mechanism of energy metabolism, we analyzed the effects of centrally and peripherally administered ghrelin on noradrenaline release in the brown adipose tissue (BAT) of rats using a microdialysis system. I.c.v. administration of ghrelin at a dose of 500 pmol suppressed noradrenaline release in BAT, and microinjection of ghrelin (50 pmol) into the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) or arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus also suppressed noradrenaline release in BAT. In addition, i.v. administered ghrelin (30 nmol) suppressed noradrenaline release in BAT, and this suppression was blocked by a vagotomy. Neither i.c.v. nor i.v. administration of des-acyl ghrelin, which does not bind to GH secretagogue receptor type 1a (GHS-R1a), affected noradrenaline release in BAT. These results indicate that ghrelin increases energy storage by suppressing the activity of the sympathetic nerve innervating BAT. It seems that the PVN and ARC, which express GHS-R1a, are the sites of action of ghrelin in the brain and that the action of peripheral ghrelin on the sympathetic nerve activity innervating BAT is mediated by the vagal nerve, which also expresses GHS-R1a.