Introduction: Ghrelin is a polypeptide hormone secreted mainly by the stomach cells, stimulating food intake and growth hormone release. Decreased plasma ghrelin concentration was found in obese subjects. Clinical and experimental data suggest that ghrelin also exerts a blood pressure lowering property. The influence of antihypertensive medication on plasma ghrelin concentration has not been studied, yet.
Material and methods: Plasma ghrelin concentration was estimated in 52 hypertensive obese (HA + O), 14 normotensive obese (O), and 15 lean healthy subjects in the fasting state, and after ingestion of a standard meal. HA + O patients were randomly allocated into 4 groups treated alternatively with: cilazapril, bisoprolol, amlodipine, or indapamide. After 6 weeks of antihypertensive monotherapy, the assessments were repeated.
Results: Similar fasting [HA + O - 780 (676-960) pg/ml; O - 751 (619-899) pg/ml] and postprandial plasma ghrelin concentrations were found in hypertensive and normotensive obese subjects. Plasma ghrelin concentrations in lean healthy subjects were significantly higher (987 (765-1366) pg/ml) in comparison to O and HA + O. Treatment with cilazapril was followed by a 28.0% increase of plasma ghrelin concentration (p = 0.04), while with bisoprolol, a 18.9% decrease (p = 0.01). No significant changes of ghrelinaemia were observed in HA + O treated with amlodipine or indapamide. No significant correlation between blood pressure and plasma ghrelin concentration before the therapy and their changes after 6 weeks of medication were found.
Conclusions:
1. Our data do not support the major role of ghrelin in blood pressure regulation in obesity.
2. An increase of plasma ghrelin concentration after treatment with cilazapril was observed.
(Pol J Endocrinol 2010; 61 (1): 21-27)