Relationship between ghrelin levels, alcohol craving, and nutritional status in current alcoholic patients.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Ghrelin is a peptide produced mainly by the gut and hypothalamus. Ghrelin is able to stimulate food-seeking behavior. Alcohol-craving and food-seeking behavior could share common neural circuits. Ghrelin is related to nutritional status, but few data are available in alcoholic patients on the relationship between ghrelin and nutritional disorders.

METHODS:

Plasma ghrelin was evaluated in 15 current alcoholic male patients compared with 15 healthy male volunteers. Craving was evaluated by the Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Energy substrate utilization was evaluated by indirect calorimetry.

RESULTS:

Ghrelin was significantly reduced in alcohol-dependent patients with respect to healthy subjects (p=0.0278). A significant positive correlation was found between ghrelin and craving (r=0.55; p=0.034). A preferential utilization of lipids as an energy substrate with a reduction of the fat mass (p=0.01) and an increase of the free fat mass (p=0.0091) was found in alcoholic patients.

CONCLUSIONS:

Within our sample showing low ghrelin levels probably related to the impaired nutritional status; patients with higher levels of ghrelin showed higher levels of alcohol craving. These preliminary data indicate that ghrelin could be implicated in the neurobiological mechanisms of alcohol craving, other than a hormone influenced by the nutritional status.

• Authors: Giovanni Addolorato, Esmeralda Capristo, Lorenzo Leggio, Anna Ferrulli, Ludovico Abenavoli, Noemi Malandrino, Sara Farnetti, Marco Domenicali, Cristina D'Angelo, Luisa Vonghia, Antonio Mirijello, Silvia Cardone, Giovanni Gasbarrini
• Journal: Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research (Alcohol Clin Exp Res) Vol. 30 Issue 11 Pg. 1933-7 (Nov 2006) ISSN: 0145-6008 [Print] England
• PMID: 17067359 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Central Nervous System Depressants
• Ghrelin
• Peptide Hormones
• Ethanol

Topics

• Absorptiometry, Photon
• Adult
• Aged
• Alcoholism (blood, psychology)
• Body Composition (physiology)
• Body Mass Index
• Calorimetry, Differential Scanning
• Central Nervous System Depressants (pharmacology)
• Energy Metabolism (drug effects)
• Ethanol (pharmacology)
• Female
• Ghrelin
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Nutritional Status
• Obsessive Behavior (psychology)
• Peptide Hormones (blood)
• Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
• Psychological Tests