Ghrelin modulates gene and protein expression of digestive enzymes in the intestine and hepatopancreas of goldfish (Carassius auratus) via the GHS-R1a: possible roles of PLC/PKC and AC/PKA intracellular signaling pathways

Citation

Blanco AM, Bertucci JI, Sánchez-Bretaño A, Delgado MJ, Valenciano AI, Unniappan S. Ghrelin modulates gene and protein expression of digestive enzymes in the intestine and hepatopancreas of goldfish (Carassius auratus) via the GHS-R1a: Possible roles of PLC/PKC and AC/PKA intracellular signaling pathways. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 2017;442:165–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mce.2016.12.027.

Abstract

Ghrelin, a multifunctional gut-brain hormone, is involved in the regulation of gastric functions in mammals. This study aimed to determine whether ghrelin modulates digestive enzymes in goldfish (Carassius auratus). Immunofluorescence microscopy found colocalization of ghrelin, GHS-R1a and the digestive enzymes sucrase-isomaltase, aminopeptidase A, trypsin and lipoprotein lipase in intestinal and hepatopancreatic cells. In vitro ghrelin treatment in intestinal and hepatopancreas explant culture led to a concentration- and time-dependent modulation (mainly stimulatory) of most of the digestive enzymes tested. The ghrelin-induced upregulations of digestive enzyme expression were all abolished by preincubation with the GHS-R1a ghrelin receptor antagonist [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6, and most of them by the phospholipase C inhibitor U73122 or the protein kinase A inhibitor H89. This indicates that ghrelin effects on digestive enzymes are mediated by GHS-R1a, partly by triggering the PLC/PKC and AC/PKA intracellular signaling pathways. These data suggest a role for ghrelin on digestive processes in fish.

Research Projects

Organizational Units

Journal Issue

Description

Funding: This work was supported by a Discovery Grant, and Discovery Accelerator Supplement award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) [Discovery Grant (341292-2012-RGPIN), and Discovery Accelerator Supplement (429436-2012-RGPAS)] of Canada, an Establishment grant from Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) and John R. Evans Leaders Fund from the Canada Foundation for Innovation to S. Unniappan, and partly by the Spanish MINECO (AGL2013-46448-C3-2-R) to M.J. Delgado. S. Unniappan is a recipient of the CIHR New Investigator Award. A.M. Blanco is a predoctoral fellow funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia. J.I. Bertucci is a predoctoral fellow supported by the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Argentina.

Keywords

Collections