Mechanism of the inhibitory effect of ghrelin in sepsis

Sepsis and septic shock are the leading causes of death in intensive care units. Approximately 40%–70% of the mortality is associated with severe sepsis and septic shock. Systemic antibiotic usage, surgical intervention, aggressive fluid resuscitation and careful monitoring are common measures currently used to treat sepsis. Despite the advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of sepsis, very little progress has been made towards therapeutic interventions. Recently we have shown that ghrelin, a stomach-derived peptide which is an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR-1a), is beneficial in attenuating the inflammatory response, organ injury and mortality in an experimental model of polymicrobial sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). In this review, we describe the mechanism of action of ghrelin in sepsis, highlight the role ghrelin plays in attenuating the hepatic dysfunction induced by sepsis and septic shock and suggest in developing ghrelin as a potential therapy for sepsis.