Ghrelin's Roles in Stress, Mood, and Anxiety Regulation

Figure 1

Two opposing models for ghrelin action in the behavioral responses to stress. Published studies all seem to agree that ghrelin levels rise upon stress of various types. Some studies suggest that rising ghrelin would contribute to the mechanisms responsible for the development of stress-induced depression and anxiety (upper panel), while others suggest that rising ghrelin helps minimize what otherwise would be more severe manifestations of depression and anxiety following stress (lower panel).