Table 3.
Effects of ghrelin arranged in the order of an estimate of the number of publications related to them
| Effect† | No of &;studies‡ |
| Central nervous system | 133 |
| Increases appetite and food intake | |
| Metabolic effects | 108 |
| Increases blood glucose levels | |
| Stimulates fat deposit in adipose tissue | |
| Growth hormone secretion | 95 |
| More potent growth hormone* releaser than GHRH | |
| Endocrine pancreas. | 60 |
| Relation to insulin* secretion is unclear and may depend on plasma glucose level | |
| Increases somatostatin* and PP* secretion | |
| Hypothalamic factors other than growth hormone | 46 |
| High doses also release ACTH, prolactin, cortisol | |
| Affects gonadotroph secretion | |
| Cardiovascular physiology | 26 |
| Decreases blood pressure | |
| Increases cardiac output and stroke volume | |
| Improves cardiac performance also when dysfunction is present | |
| Digestive system | 19 |
| Increases gastric acid secretion | |
| Accelerates gastric emptying | |
| Offers gastroprotection against ulcerogens | |
| Reproductive physiology* | 15 |
| Possible link between energy status and fertility | |
| Dose dependent inhibition or stimulation of cell proliferation of tumour cell lines. | 14 |
| Central nervous system (other than appetite) | 9 |
| Enhances anxiety | |
| Increases memory retention | |
| Promotes slow wave sleep |