Endogenous ghrelin's role in hippocampal neuroprotection after global cerebral ischemia: does endogenous ghrelin protect against global stroke?

Ghrelin is a gastrointestinal hormone with a well-characterized role in feeding and metabolism. Recent evidence suggests that ghrelin may also be neuroprotective after injury in animal models of cerebral ischemia. Thus exogenous ghrelin treatment can improve cell survival, reduce infarct size, and rescue memory deficits in focal ischemia models, doing so by suppressing inflammation and apoptosis.