Abstract
Background/Objectives:
Plasma ghrelin secretion over time in humans is characterized by pre-prandial increases and by post-prandial decreases all day long. However, some authors who measured ghrelin concentrations around meals showed a rise in plasma ghrelin concentration after meal initiation followed by the typical post-prandial decrease. In order to confirm this observation that has never been discussed, we described ghrelin profiles around four eating episodes in the morning in adult men.
Subjects/Methods:
Twenty normal-weight and 17 obese men were instructed to eat four fixed meals (706 kJ) 10 min long at 0800 h, 0900 h, 1000 h and 1100 h. Using frequent blood sampling, we determined plasma acyl-ghrelin concentrations around those eating episodes. Glucose, insulin and GLP-1 concentrations were also measured.
Results:
The meals consumption induced a significant increase in plasma acyl-ghrelin concentrations 10 min after meal initiation (P<0.0001): +20.9±5.8 and +10.7±3.3 pg/ml in normal-weight and obese subjects for the first meal; +10.4±3.0 and +5.5±3.9 pg/ml in normal-weight and obese subjects for the second meal; +12.4±3.6 and +4.2±2.1 pg/ml in normal-weight and obese subjects for the third meal; and +4.4±4.1 and +3.3±2.61 pg/ml in normal-weight and obese subjects for the fourth meal.
Conclusions:
This study is the first to describe and discuss the post-meal initiation ghrelin increase. This finding is consistent in normal-weight and obese individuals.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Relevant articles
Open Access articles citing this article.
-
Circulating acyl and des-acyl ghrelin levels in obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Scientific Reports Open Access 17 February 2022
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout


References
Kojima M, Hosoda H, Date Y, Nakazato M, Matsuo H, Kangawa K . Ghrelin is a growth-hormone-releasing acylated peptide from stomach. Nature 1999; 402: 656–660.
Nakazato M, Murakami N, Date Y, Kojima M, Matsuo H, Kangawa K et al. A role for ghrelin in the central regulation of feeding. Nature 2001; 409: 194–198.
Wren AM, Seal LJ, Cohen MA, Brynes AE, Frost GS, Murphy KG et al. Ghrelin enhances appetite and increases food intake in humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001; 86: 5992.
Cummings DE . Ghrelin and the short- and long-term regulation of appetite and body weight. Physiol Behav 2006; 89: 71–84.
Higgins SC, Gueorguiev M, Korbonits M . Ghrelin, the peripheral hunger hormone. Ann Med 2007; 39: 116–136.
Klok MD, Jakobsdottir S, Drent ML . The role of leptin and ghrelin in the regulation of food intake and body weight in humans: a review. Obes Rev 2007; 8: 21–34.
Overduin J, Frayo RS, Grill HJ, Kaplan JM, Cummings DE . Role of the duodenum and macronutrient type in ghrelin regulation. Endocrinology 2005; 146: 845–850.
Bowen J, Noakes M, Trenerry C, Clifton PM . Energy intake, ghrelin, and cholecystokinin after different carbohydrate and protein preloads in overweight men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006; 91: 1477–1483.
Foster-Schubert KE, Overduin J, Prudom CE, Liu J, Callahan HS, Gaylinn BD et al. Acyl and total ghrelin are suppressed strongly by ingested proteins, weakly by lipids, and biphasically by carbohydrates. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008; 93: 1971–1979.
Cummings DE, Purnell JQ, Frayo RS, Schmidova K, Wisse BE, Weigle DS . A preprandial rise in plasma ghrelin levels suggests a role in meal initiation in humans. Diabetes 2001; 50: 1714–1719.
Cummings DE, Frayo RS, Marmonier C, Aubert R, Chapelot D . Plasma ghrelin levels and hunger scores in humans initiating meals voluntarily without time- and food-related cues. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2004; 287: E297–E304.
Poppitt SD, Leahy FE, Keogh GF, Wang Y, Mulvey TB, Stojkovic M et al. Effect of high-fat meals and fatty acid saturation on postprandial levels of the hormones ghrelin and leptin in healthy men. Eur J Clin Nutr 2006; 60: 77–84.
Erdmann J, Töpsch R, Lippl F, Gussmann P, Schusdziarra V . Postprandial response of plasma ghrelin levels to various test meals in relation to food intake, plasma insulin, and glucose. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2004; 89: 3048–3054.
Erdmann J, Hebeisen Y, Lippl F, Wagenpfeil S, Schusdziarra V . Food intake and plasma ghrelin response during potato-, rice- and pasta-rich test meals. Eur J Nutr 2007; 46: 196–203.
Lemmens SG, Martens EA, Born JM, Martens MJ, Westerterp-Plantenga MS . Staggered meal consumption facilitates appetite control without affecting postprandial energy intake. J Nutr 2011; 141: 482–488.
Spiegel K, Tasali E, Leproult R, Scherberg N, Van Cauter E . Twenty-four-hour profiles of acylated and total ghrelin: relationship with glucose levels and impact of time of day and sleep. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2011; 96: 486–493.
Allirot X, Saulais L, Seyssel K, Graeppi-Dulac J, Roth H, Charrié A et al. An isocaloric increase of eating episodes in the morning contributes to decrease energy intake at lunch in lean men. Physiol Behav 2013; 110-111: 169–178.
Allirot X, Seyssel K, Saulais L, Roth H, Charrié A, Drai J et al. Effects of a breakfast spread out over time on the food intake at lunch and the hormonal responses in obese men. Physiol Behav 2014; 127C: 37–44.
Tschöp M, Weyer C, Tataranni PA, Devanarayan V, Ravussin E, Heiman ML . Circulating ghrelin levels are decreased in human obesity. Diabetes 2001; 50: 707–709.
Van der Klaauw AA, Keogh JM, Henning E, Trowse VM, Dhillo WS, Ghatei MA et al. High protein intake stimulates postprandial GLP1 and PYY release. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2013; 21: 1602–1607.
Rolls BJ, Rolls ET, Rowe EA, Sweeney K . Sensory specific satiety in man. Physiol Behav 1981; 27: 137–142.
Solomon TPJ, Chambers ES, Jeukendrup AE, Toogood AA, Blannin AK . The effect of feeding frequency on insulin and ghrelin responses in human subjects. Br J Nutr 2008; 100: 810–819.
Schüssler P, Kluge M, Yassouridis A, Dresler M, Uhr M, Steiger A . Ghrelin levels increase after pictures showing food. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2012; 20: 1212–1217.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to all the members of our team. This study was supported by Fundation Nestlé France and Les Thermes de Brides Les Bains.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Seyssel, K., Allirot, X., Nazare, JA. et al. Plasma acyl-ghrelin increases after meal initiation: a new insight. Eur J Clin Nutr 70, 790–794 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2015.181
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2015.181
This article is cited by
-
Circulating acyl and des-acyl ghrelin levels in obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Scientific Reports (2022)