Ghrelin--an indicator for fat oxidation in obese children and adolescents during a weight reduction program.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of short-term energy restriction combined with physical activity on changes in substrate oxidation and changes in plasma concentrations of ghrelin. We designed a longitudinal intervention study of 4.2 MJ (= 1,000 kcal) daily with exercise.

Functional role of bone morphogenetic protein-4 in isolated canine parietal cells.

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-4 is an important regulator of cellular growth and differentiation. Expression of BMP-4 has been documented in the gastric mucosa. We reported that incubation of canine parietal cells with EGF for 72 h induced both parietal cell morphological transformation and inhibition of H(+)/K(+)-ATPase gene expression through MAPK-dependent mechanisms.

Regulation and function of the sonic hedgehog signal transduction pathway in isolated gastric parietal cells.

Shh (Sonic hedgehog) regulates gastric epithelial cell differentiation. We reported that incubation of purified canine parietal cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF) for 6-16 h, stimulates H(+)/K(+)-ATPase alpha-subunit gene expression through the activation of Akt. We explored if Shh mediates some of the actions of EGF in the parietal cells.