Ghrelin is synthesized as a preprohormone, and then proteolytically processed to yield a 28-amino acid peptide. Synthesis of ghrelin occurs predominantly in epithelial cells lining the fundus of the stomach, with smaller amounts produced in the placenta, kidney, pituitary and hypothalamus.
Ghrelin has emerged as the first circulating hunger hormone. Ghrelin increases food intake and thus fat massby an action exerted at the level of the hypothalamus. They activate cells in the arcuate nucleus that include the orexigenic neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons. Ghrelin-responsiveness of these neurons is both leptin and insulin sensitive. Ghrelin also activates the mesolimbic cholinergic-dopaminergic reward link, a circuit that communicates the hedonic and reinforcing aspects of natural rewards, such as food.
Ghrelin levels in the plasma of obese individuals are lower than those in leaner individuals except in the case of Prader-Willi syndrome-induced obesity. Those suffering from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa have high plasma levels of ghrelin compared to both the constitutionally thin and normal-weight controls. These findings suggest that ghrelin plays a role in both anorexia and obesity. Ghrelin levels are also high in patients who have cancer-induced cachexia.

The antibody is stable for at least 1 year from the date of receipt when stored at -20°C to -70°C. Reconstituted antibody can also be aliquotted and stored at 4°C for 1 month or at -20°C to -70°C in a manual defrost freezer for many months without detectable loss activity. Please avoid freeze-thaw cycles.

The rabbit anti-human Ghrelin antibody detects specifically target derived from related-cell lysates protein at various concentrations. Cross reactivity with mouse and rat are expected from sequence similarity.