1 Introduction
2 Physiologic and pharmacologic actions of ghrelin
2.1 Orexigenic action
2.2 Stimulation of GH secretion
2.3 Anti-inflammatory action
2.4 Other actions
3 Plasma ghrelin levels in cachexia
4 Clinical studies
4.1 CHF cachexia
Diseases | Reference | Year | Study design | Ghrelin/GHS administration |
---|---|---|---|---|
CHF | [24] | 2004 | Open-label pilot study | Ghrelin, 2 μg/kg b.i.d. for 3 weeks, i.v. |
COPD | [27] | 2005 | Open-label pilot study | Ghrelin, 2 μg/kg b.i.d. for 3 weeks, i.v. |
Cancer cachexia | [76] | 2004 | Acute, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study | Ghrelin, 5 pmol/kg/min, i.v., for >180 min |
Cancer cachexia | [31] | 2007 | Randomized, placebo-controlled study | Anamorelin, 50 mg/day, oral, 12 weeks |
Cancer cachexia | [77] | 2008 | Randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study | Ghrelin, 2 or 8 μg/kg, i.v., for 4 days, once a day |
ESRD | [79] | 2005 | Acute, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study | Ghrelin, 3.6 nmol/kg, s.c. |
ESRD | [80] | 2009 | Randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study | Ghrelin, 12 μg/kg, s.c., for 1 wk, once a day |