Age-dependent decrease in the ghrelin gene expression in the human adrenal cortex: A real-time PCR study

  • Authors:
    • Gianni Carraro
    • Giovanna Albertin
    • Francesco Aragona
    • Myriam Forneris
    • Valentina Casale
    • Raffaella Spinazzi
    • Gastone G. Nussdorfer
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: February 1, 2006     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.17.2.319
  • Pages: 319-321
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Abstract

Numerous lines of evidence indicate that ghrelin, an endogenous ligand of the growth hormone-secretagogue receptor, is expressed in the human and rat adrenal cortex. In this study, we examined whether ghrelin gene expression undergoes changes in the human adrenal cortex during aging. Semi-quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated a highly significant negative correlation between ghrelin mRNA and age in adrenal cortexes of 27 patients (aged from 33 to 82 years), who underwent unilateral adrenalectomy/nephrectomy for kidney cancer. No significant differences in the level of adrenal ghrelin expression were observed between males and females. Since it has been previously shown that ghrelin exerts a marked growth-stimulating action on cultured adrenocortical cells, we hypothesize that the down-regulation of ghrelin gene transcription in adrenals could be associated with the reported decrease in adrenal DNA synthesis and mitogenic activity during aging.

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February 2006
Volume 17 Issue 2

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

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Spandidos Publications style
Carraro G, Albertin G, Aragona F, Forneris M, Casale V, Spinazzi R and Nussdorfer GG: Age-dependent decrease in the ghrelin gene expression in the human adrenal cortex: A real-time PCR study. Int J Mol Med 17: 319-321, 2006
APA
Carraro, G., Albertin, G., Aragona, F., Forneris, M., Casale, V., Spinazzi, R., & Nussdorfer, G.G. (2006). Age-dependent decrease in the ghrelin gene expression in the human adrenal cortex: A real-time PCR study. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 17, 319-321. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.17.2.319
MLA
Carraro, G., Albertin, G., Aragona, F., Forneris, M., Casale, V., Spinazzi, R., Nussdorfer, G. G."Age-dependent decrease in the ghrelin gene expression in the human adrenal cortex: A real-time PCR study". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 17.2 (2006): 319-321.
Chicago
Carraro, G., Albertin, G., Aragona, F., Forneris, M., Casale, V., Spinazzi, R., Nussdorfer, G. G."Age-dependent decrease in the ghrelin gene expression in the human adrenal cortex: A real-time PCR study". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 17, no. 2 (2006): 319-321. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.17.2.319