Keisuke Kawai1, Megumi Nakashima2, Masayasu Kojima3, Sakino Yamashita2, Shu Takakura2, Miki Shimizu2, Chiharu Kubo4, Nobuyuki Sudo2. 1. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Kohnodai Hospital National Center for Global Health Medicine 1-7-1, Kohnodai, Ichikawa City, Chiba, 272-8516, Japan; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan. Electronic address: kawai@cephal.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp. 2. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan. 3. Institute of Life Science, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0864, Japan. 4. Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0315, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Ghrelin, a peptide found in the stomach, increases appetite and fat-free mass while suppressing energy expenditure. Ghrelin requires modification by medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) to exert its physiological effects. In this study, we investigated ghrelin activation and the resulting physiological changes following MCT administration. METHODS:Thirty participants were selected from among inpatients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN). The patients were randomly divided into three groups by the MCT content of their nutritional supplement: (1) 'MCT high' (>6 g/day), (2) 'MCT moderate' (1-6 g/day), and (3) 'MCT low' (<1 g/day). Physical factors such as body weight and composition, as well as levels of nutrition-related serum factors such as acylated (active form) and desacyl (inactive form) ghrelin, leptin, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor, and neuropeptide Y (NPY) were measured at weeks 0, 2, 4, and 6 of the treatment protocol. RESULTS: Significantly higher ghrelin activation was found in the 'MCT high' than in the 'MCT low' group (P < 0.05). The amount of consumed MCT had a curvilinear relationship with the active ghrelin level (P = 0.00). NPY levels in the 'MCT high' group were significantly more elevated than in the 'MCT low' group (P < 0.05). MCT administration did not significantly affect the remaining factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study clearly demonstrated that MCT activates ghrelin and increases NPY, suggesting that nutritional supplementation with MCT may be effective for the treatment of AN patients in an emaciated state.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND & AIMS:Ghrelin, a peptide found in the stomach, increases appetite and fat-free mass while suppressing energy expenditure. Ghrelin requires modification by medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) to exert its physiological effects. In this study, we investigated ghrelin activation and the resulting physiological changes following MCT administration. METHODS: Thirty participants were selected from among inpatients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN). The patients were randomly divided into three groups by the MCT content of their nutritional supplement: (1) 'MCT high' (>6 g/day), (2) 'MCT moderate' (1-6 g/day), and (3) 'MCT low' (<1 g/day). Physical factors such as body weight and composition, as well as levels of nutrition-related serum factors such as acylated (active form) and desacyl (inactive form) ghrelin, leptin, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor, and neuropeptide Y (NPY) were measured at weeks 0, 2, 4, and 6 of the treatment protocol. RESULTS: Significantly higher ghrelin activation was found in the 'MCT high' than in the 'MCT low' group (P < 0.05). The amount of consumed MCT had a curvilinear relationship with the active ghrelin level (P = 0.00). NPY levels in the 'MCT high' group were significantly more elevated than in the 'MCT low' group (P < 0.05). MCT administration did not significantly affect the remaining factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study clearly demonstrated that MCT activates ghrelin and increases NPY, suggesting that nutritional supplementation with MCT may be effective for the treatment of AN patients in an emaciated state.
Authors: Jamie Matu; John O'Hara; Neil Hill; Sarah Clarke; Christopher Boos; Caroline Newman; David Holdsworth; Theocharis Ispoglou; Lauren Duckworth; David Woods; Adrian Mellor; Kevin Deighton Journal: Eur J Appl Physiol Date: 2017-07-24 Impact factor: 3.078
Authors: Jessica Duis; Pieter J van Wattum; Ann Scheimann; Parisa Salehi; Elly Brokamp; Laura Fairbrother; Anna Childers; Althea Robinson Shelton; Nathan C Bingham; Ashley H Shoemaker; Jennifer L Miller Journal: Mol Genet Genomic Med Date: 2019-01-29 Impact factor: 2.183