Objective The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of growth hormone-releasing peptide (Ghrelin)-specific receptor GHS-R on animal growth and development.
Methods 4 wk male GHS-R deletion C57BL/6J mice were selected as the GHS-R−/− group, and 4 wk male wild-type C57BL/6J mice were selected as the WT group, and the body weight, blood physiological indexes, triglyceride and glucose levels of 5 - 8 wk mice were monitored, the relative expression levels of Ghrelin and GOAT, liver IGF-I and pituitary GH mRNA were detected by qPCR, and the length of intestinal villi in duodenal paraffin sections was evaluated.
Results The results showed that the weight gain of mice in the GHS-R−/− group was significantly lower than that in the WT group (P<0.05). The relative mRNA expressions of Ghrelin, IGF-I and GOAT in the GHS-R−/− group were significantly higher than those in the WT group (P<0.01), the number of leukocytes in the GHS-R−/− group was significantly lower than that in the WT group (P<0.01), the percentage of lymphocytes was significantly lower than that in the WT group (P<0.05), and the percentage of neutrophils was significantly higher than that in the WT group (P<0.05). The hematocrit in the GHS-R−/− group was significantly higher than that in the WT group (P<0.05), and the mean corpuscular body activity was significantly higher than that in the WT group (P<0.01). The number of platelets and platelet hematocrit in the GHS-R−/− group were significantly lower than those in the WT group (P<0.01). The serum triglyceride and glucose contents in the GHS-R−/− group were significantly lower than those in the WT group (P<0.05).
Conclusion The results of this study proved that GHS-R may regulate the gene expression, blood cell development, and metabolism of glucose and triglycerides in Ghrelin, GOAT and IGF-I in animals, and provide a reference for further exploring the physiological functions of Ghrelin and its receptors.
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