Introduction: Ghrelin is a gastrointestinal hormone that affects metabolic processes and energy metabolism by a central mechanism and directly via its receptors in peripheral tissues. The involvement of ghrelin in the metabolic syndrome is the subject of a number of studies. One of the frequent disorders of the metabolic syndrome is nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis. The aim of our study is to detect the presence of ghrelin receptor GHSR1 in rat hepatocytes treated with a high-fat-high-carbohydrate diet (HFHCD).
Materials and Methods: Female Wistar rats (n=10) were fed HFHCD for 16 weeks. Control rats (n=10) were fed a normal diet for the same period of time. Metabolic control was determined by measuring body weight gain, BMI, adiposity, and plasma biochemical parameters. Immunohistochemical study was performed on the liver of both groups with primary ghrelin receptor antibody GHSR1.
Results: The immunohistochemical reaction in the liver of the control group was negative. In the liver of rats treated with HFHCD, we detected expression of GHSR1. The ghrelin receptors were positivized in small groups of hepatocytes located around central veins and periportal spaces.
Conclusion: The presence of ghrelin receptors in hepatocytes allows ghrelin to interfere directly in their metabolism and lipogenesis. Expression of the ghrelin receptors in liver can be used as one of the biomarkers for detection of metabolic syndrome and diseases associated therewith.
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