Expression of ghrelin in the stomach of female rats with induced metabolic syndrome by high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet

Introduction: Gut hormones, including ghrelin, send information about incoming nutrients to the rest of the body and thereby control many aspects of metabolism. Ghrelin releases the secretion of growth hormone, regulates exocrine pancreas and insulin secretion. Special attention is given to its role in glucose metabolism and energy homeostasis. The aim of our work is to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of ghrelin in the stomach of female rats with metabolic syndrome induced by high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet (HFCD). Material and methods: Female Wistar rats (n=10) were fed HFCD 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, plasma biochemical parameters. Immunohistochemical study was performed on the stomach of both groups with primary ghrelin antibody. Results: In the stomach of the control rats we established single ghrelin-producing cells with an average intensity of the immunohistochemical ghrelin reaction. They were localized in the stomach fundus area, scattered in the body or in the bottom of some of the gastric glands. In the stomach of the HFCD fed rats еxtremely large number of ghrelin-producing cells with an average and strong intensity of the immunohistochemical reaction were found. They occupied vast region of the stomach fundus. Ghrelin-producing cells involved almost the entire length of the fundus glands - their body and bottom. They were missing in cervical part of the glands. Conclusion: HFCD stimulates the proliferation of a large number of ghrelin-producing cells in the gastric glands of female rats which make us assume that metabolic syndrome is associated with strong ghrelin expression and ghrelin is certainly involved in its pathogenesis.