The Impact of Ghrelin in Metabolic Diseases: An Immune Perspective

Figure 1

The immune roles of ghrelin. Ghrelin is secreted by X/A-like enteroendocrine cells. In the innate immune system, ghrelin acts on macrophages and induces an anti-inflammatory state (M2 profile) and inhibits proinflammatory macrophages (M1 profile). In the adaptive immune system, ghrelin exhibits an anti-inflammatory role. Ghrelin inhibits Th1 cells and increases the polarization of Th2 and regulatory T cells. These actions contribute to the reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines and increased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines.