ORCID Profile
0000-0003-0902-4212
Current Organisation
National Institutes of Health
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2021
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 31-07-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.07.30.228494
Abstract: Ghrelin is a gastric-derived peptide hormone with demonstrated impact on alcohol intake and craving, but the reverse side of this bidirectional link, i.e., the effects of alcohol on the ghrelin system, remains to be fully established. To characterize the downstream effects of alcohol on the ghrelin system, we examined the following: (1) plasma ghrelin levels across four human laboratory alcohol administration experiments with non-treatment seeking, heavy-drinking participants, (2) expression of ghrelin, ghrelin receptor, and ghrelin-O-acyltransferase (GOAT) genes (GHRL, GHSR, and MBOAT4, respectively) in human post-mortem brain tissue from in iduals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) vs. controls, (3) plasma ghrelin levels in Ghsr knockout and wild-type rats following intraperitoneal (i.p.) ethanol administration, (4) effect of ethanol on ghrelin secretion from gastric mucosa cells ex vivo and GOAT enzymatic activity in vitro, and (5) plasma ghrelin levels in rats following i.p. ethanol administration vs. an iso-caloric sucrose solution. Peripheral acyl- and total ghrelin levels significantly decreased following acute ethanol administration in humans. No difference in GHRL, GHSR, and MBOAT4 mRNA expression in the brain was observed between AUD vs. control post-mortem s les. In rats, acyl-ghrelin levels significantly decreased following i.p. ethanol administration in both genotype groups (Ghsr knockout and wild-type), while des-acyl-ghrelin was not affected by ethanol. No effect of ethanol was observed ex vivo on ghrelin secretion from gastric mucosa cells or in vitro on GOAT acylation activity. Lastly, we observed different effects of i.p. ethanol and sucrose solution on acyl- and des-acyl-ghrelin in rats despite administering amounts with equivalent caloric value. Ethanol acutely decreases peripheral ghrelin concentrations in humans and rats, and our findings suggest that this effect does not occur through interaction with ghrelin-secreting gastric mucosal cells, the ghrelin receptor, or the GOAT enzyme. Moreover, this effect does not appear to be proportional to caloric load. Our findings, therefore, suggest that ethanol does not suppress circulating ghrelin through direct interaction with the ghrelin system, or in proportion to the caloric value of alcohol, and may differentially affect ghrelin acylation and ghrelin peptide secretion.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 25-03-2022
DOI: 10.1101/2022.03.24.22272872
Abstract: Addiction medicine is a developing field, with many young professionals opting for a career in this area. However, globally, early-career professionals often face challenges in this field, such as lack of competency-based training due to a shortage of trainers, low availability of institutions with appropriate infrastructure, and limited resources for adequate training, particularly in developing countries. On the other hand, in developed countries, early career professionals may struggle with mentorship, limited job opportunities, and challenges with establishing a suitable research area. The International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) New Professionals Exploration, Training & Education (NExT) committee, a global platform for early-career addiction medicine professionals (ECAMPs), conducted an online survey using a modified Delphi-based approach among ECAMPs across 56 countries to assess and understand the need and scope for standardized training, research opportunities, and mentorship. The survey was conducted in 2 phases. A total of 110 respondents participated in Phase I (online key informant survey), and 28 respondents participated in Phase II (online expert group discussions on the three themes identified in Phase I). Most participants agreed with the lack of standardized training, structured mentorship programmes, research funding, and research opportunities in addiction medicine for ECAMPs. There is a need for standardized training programmes, improving research opportunities, and effective mentorship programmes to promote the next generation of addiction medicine professionals and further development to the entire field. The efforts of ISAM-NExT are well-received and give a template of how this gap can be addressed.
Location: Iran (Islamic Republic of)
No related grants have been discovered for Mehdi Farokhnia.