[Appetite and regulation of food intake in uremia]

Anorexia, nausea and vomiting are common symptoms in patients with severe renal failure. Abnormalities in body fluids volume, serum electrolytes concentrations and acid-base balance and accumulations of uremic toxic substances might be primarily contributing to the suppression of appetite. However, the detailed mechanisms that cause appetite suppression in uremia are poorly understood. Impaired gastric emptying, constituents of peritoneal dialysate, plasma high leptin, high cholecystokinin and low neuropeptide Y are also considered to be contributing to appetite suppression in uremia.