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. 2011 Aug 25;121(9):3384–3386. doi: 10.1172/JCI58297

Figure 1. Prouroguanylin is a prohormone that is secreted by the GI tract.

Figure 1

It has been shown to be cleaved in the lumen of the GI tract to the active hormone, uroguanylin, that can activate GUCY2C receptors to alter fluid absorption. In this issue of the JCI, Valentino et al. (5) show that prouroguanylin levels in the blood are increased after meals. It can then be cleaved to uroguanylin in the CNS to interact with GUCY2C receptors in the hypothalamus to decrease food intake and thereby act as a satiety factor from gut to brain.