Ghrelin, the only known peripherally produced and centrally acting peptide that stimulates food intake, is synthesized primarily in the stomach and acts through the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a). In addition to its orexigenic effect, ghrelin stimulates the release of growth hormone (GH). In this study, we investigated the biological properties of full-length and shortened ghrelin analogs in which octanoylated Ser(3) is replaced with an octanoic acid moiety coupled to diaminopropionic acid (Dpr). Ghrelin analogs stabilized with Dpr(N-octanoyl) in position 3 and noncoded amino acids in position 1 (sarcosine) and/or position 4 (naphthylalanine or cyclohexylalanine) were found to possess affinities similar to those of ghrelin for cell membranes with transfected GHS-R1a. In vivo, the prolonged orexigenic effects of analogs containing Dpr(N-octanoyl)(3) compared with that of ghrelin in adult mice and a similar impact on GH secretion in young mice were found. Full-length [Dpr(N-octanoyl)(3)]ghrelin and its analogs with a noncoded amino acid in position 1 and/or 4 showed significantly prolonged stability in blood plasma compared with that of ghrelin. Ghrelin analogs with a prolonged orexigenic effect are potential treatments for GH deficiency or cachexia that accompanies chronic diseases. Desoctanoylated ghrelin analogs and N-terminal penta- and octapeptides of ghrelin did not show any biological activity.
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