What peptides and hormones are secreted in response to food intake?

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From the Guidelines

Peptides and hormones secreted in response to food intake include ghrelin, amylin, cholecystokinin, GIP, GLP-1, insulin, leptin, oxyntomodulin, pancreatic peptide, and PYY.

Key Hormones

  • Ghrelin: stimulates food intake, levels reduced in obesity and insulin resistance 1
  • Amylin: decreases food intake, suppresses glucagon secretion, regulates body weight, and increases energy expenditure, levels lower in T1D and do not respond to meal stimulus 1
  • Cholecystokinin (CCK): decreases appetite, delays gastric emptying, and promotes satiety 1
  • Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1): regulates body weight by diminishing appetite and delaying gastric emptying, key mediator for glucose homeostasis 1
  • Insulin: regulates appetite and body weight via central nervous system interactions, levels reduced in T1D 1
  • Leptin: decreases appetite, levels reduced in T1D 1
  • Peptide YY (PYY): suppresses appetite, important for islet cell development and regeneration of pancreatic cells 1

Mechanisms of Action

  • GLP-1 receptor agonists stimulate insulin secretion, inhibit glucagon secretion, and delay gastric emptying, leading to reduced food intake and weight loss 1
  • GLP-1 receptors are localized to the arcuate nucleus, area postrema, and nucleus tractus solitarius, regulating energy intake and expenditure 1
  • Ghrelin and GLP-1 have inverse relationships with BMI, with ghrelin levels reduced in obesity and GLP-1 levels increased in response to meal stimulus 1

From the Research

Peptides and Hormones Secreted in Response to Food Intake

The following peptides and hormones are secreted in response to food intake:

  • Ghrelin: an orexigenic hormone that increases food intake and body weight 2, 3
  • Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1): an anorexigenic hormone that inhibits appetite 2, 3, 4
  • Oxyntomodulin: an anorexigenic hormone that inhibits appetite 2, 3, 4
  • Peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY): an anorexigenic hormone that inhibits appetite 2, 3, 5, 4
  • Cholecystokinin (CCK): an anorexigenic hormone that inhibits appetite 2, 3, 4
  • Pancreatic polypeptides: anorexigenic hormones that inhibit appetite 2, 3
  • Insulin: a hormone that relays information regarding long-term energy stores and reduces food intake 2
  • Leptin: a hormone that relays information regarding long-term energy stores and reduces food intake 2
  • Nesfatin-1: a peptide that regulates food intake 4
  • Uroguanylin (UGN): a peptide that regulates food intake 4

Mechanisms of Action

These peptides and hormones act through various mechanisms, including:

  • Binding to G-protein-coupled receptors on the luminal side of enteroendocrine cells 2
  • Influencing the activity of the arcuate nucleus (ARC) neurons of the hypothalamus 2, 5
  • Influencing the nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS) through the adjacent circumventricular organ 2
  • Regulating the release of other hormones, such as insulin and leptin 2

Regulation of Food Intake

The regulation of food intake involves a complex interplay between the gut, brain, and adipose tissue, and is influenced by various peptides and hormones, including those listed above 2, 3, 4.

References

Guideline

Guideline Directed Topic Overview

Dr.Oracle Medical Advisory Board & Editors, 2025

Research

Peptides and food intake.

Frontiers in endocrinology, 2014

Research

The role of gut hormones in appetite regulation (review).

Acta physiologica Hungarica, 2014

Research

The gut hormone peptide YY regulates appetite.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2003

Professional Medical Disclaimer

This information is intended for healthcare professionals. Any medical decision-making should rely on clinical judgment and independently verified information. The content provided herein does not replace professional discretion and should be considered supplementary to established clinical guidelines. Healthcare providers should verify all information against primary literature and current practice standards before application in patient care. Dr.Oracle assumes no liability for clinical decisions based on this content.

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