PMID- 22632865 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20130513 LR - 20190728 IS - 1873-4286 (Electronic) IS - 1381-6128 (Linking) VI - 18 IP - 31 DP - 2012 TI - Neurohormones, rikkunshito and hypothalamic neurons interactively control appetite and anorexia. PG - 4854-64 AB - Ghrelin is the orexigenic peptide produced in the periphery, and its plasma level shows remarkable pre/postprandial changes. Ghrelin is considered a pivotal signal to the brain to stimulate feeding. Hence, characterizing the target neurons for ghrelin in the hypothalamic feeding center and the signaling cascade in the target neurons are essential for understanding the mechanisms regulating appetite. Anorexia and cachexia associated with gastric surgery, stress-related diseases, and use of anti-cancer drugs cause the health problems, markedly deteriorating the quality of life. The anorexia involves several neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in the hypothalamic feeding center, in which corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), urocortine, serotonin (5HT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) play a pivotal role. A Japanese herbal medicine, rikkunshito, has been reported to ameliorate the anorexia by promoting the appetite. This review describes 1) the interaction of ghrelin with the orexigenic neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) and underlying signaling cascade in NPY neurons, 2) the anorectic pathway driven by BDNF-CRH/urocortine and 5HTCRH/ urocortine pathways, 3) the effect of rikkunshito on the interaction of ghrelin and NPY neurons in ARC, and 4) the effect of rikkunshito on the interaction of 5HT on CRH neurons in paraventricular nucleus (PVN). FAU - Yada, Toshihiko AU - Yada T AD - Division of Integrative Physiology, Department of Physiology, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotsuke, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan. tyada@jichi.ac.jp FAU - Kohno, Daisuke AU - Kohno D FAU - Maejima, Yuko AU - Maejima Y FAU - Sedbazar, Udval AU - Sedbazar U FAU - Arai, Takeshi AU - Arai T FAU - Toriya, Masako AU - Toriya M FAU - Maekawa, Fumihiko AU - Maekawa F FAU - Kurita, Hedeharu AU - Kurita H FAU - Niijima, Akira AU - Niijima A FAU - Yakabi, Koji AU - Yakabi K LA - eng PT - Journal Article PT - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't PT - Review PL - United Arab Emirates TA - Curr Pharm Des JT - Current pharmaceutical design JID - 9602487 RN - 0 (Appetite Stimulants) RN - 0 (Drugs, Chinese Herbal) RN - 0 (GHRL protein, human) RN - 0 (Ghrelin) RN - 0 (Neuropeptide Y) RN - 0 (Neurotransmitter Agents) RN - 0 (liu-jun-zi-tang) SB - IM MH - Animals MH - Anorexia/*drug therapy/metabolism MH - Appetite Regulation/*drug effects MH - Appetite Stimulants/pharmacology/*therapeutic use MH - Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology/*therapeutic use MH - Energy Intake/drug effects MH - Ghrelin/agonists/metabolism MH - Humans MH - Hypothalamus/*drug effects/metabolism MH - Lipid Metabolism/drug effects MH - Neurons/*drug effects/metabolism MH - Neuropeptide Y/metabolism MH - Neurotransmitter Agents/pharmacology/*therapeutic use MH - Signal Transduction/drug effects EDAT- 2012/05/29 06:00 MHDA- 2013/05/15 06:00 CRDT- 2012/05/29 06:00 PHST- 2012/03/27 00:00 [received] PHST- 2012/04/05 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2012/05/29 06:00 [entrez] PHST- 2012/05/29 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2013/05/15 06:00 [medline] AID - CPD-EPUB-20120523-12 [pii] AID - 10.2174/138161212803216898 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Curr Pharm Des. 2012;18(31):4854-64. doi: 10.2174/138161212803216898.