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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Study of In Vivo Glucose Metabolism in High-fat Diet-fed Mice Using Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) and Insulin Tolerance Test (ITT)
Published on: January 7, 2018
Effect of oral glucose administration on ghrelin levels in obese children
Leandro Soriano-Guillén1, Vicente Barrios, Gabriel Martos
1Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Laboratory of Research, Universidad Autónoma, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Avda. Menéndez Pelayo 65, E-28009 Madrid, Spain.
Insights
Plasma ghrelin levels significantly decrease in obese children after consuming glucose, indicating a potential appetite control mechanism post-meal. This study investigated ghrelin
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Pediatric Metabolism
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Ghrelin and its receptor are present in the pancreas, suggesting a role in glucose metabolism.
- Studies in adults show decreased plasma ghrelin after oral glucose, but data in children are lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the plasma ghrelin response in obese children following oral glucose administration.
- To explore the relationship between ghrelin, glucose, and insulin levels in pediatric obesity.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-eight obese children (Tanner stages I-V) underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).
- Plasma ghrelin, insulin, glucose, and IGF-binding-protein-1 were measured at 0, 30, 60, and 120 minutes.
- A glucose load of 0.75 g/kg (max 75 g) was administered after overnight fasting.
Main Results:
- Obese children exhibited lower basal plasma ghrelin levels compared to controls.
- Plasma ghrelin levels significantly decreased during the OGTT in obese children.
- Ghrelin levels reached a nadir at 60 minutes, coinciding with peak glucose levels and preceding peak insulin levels.
Conclusions:
- The rapid decline in plasma ghrelin after a glucose load in obese children suggests a role in appetite regulation post-ingestion.
- This finding highlights a potential mechanism for controlling appetite following food intake in pediatric obesity.
Objective:
Coexpression of GH secretagogue receptor and ghrelin in the pancreas suggests that this peptide is involved in glucose metabolism. Previous reports in adult humans have demonstrated that plasma ghrelin levels decrease after oral glucose administration. However, no data are available in children. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the response of plasma ghrelin levels in obese children after oral glucose administration.
Subjects And Methods:
Twenty-eight obese children ranging from Tanner I to Tanner V were studied. All subjects were given 0.75 g/kg (maximum 75 g) glucose solution after overnight fasting. Ghrelin, insulin, glucose and IGF-binding-protein-1 were determined at 0, 30, 60 and 120 min of the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).
Results:
Basal plasma ghrelin levels were significantly lower than in the respective control groups. These levels decreased significantly during OGTT in obese children, reaching a nadir of 28+/-9% at 60 min in parallel with the maximum increase in glucose levels and previous to maximum insulin levels.
Conclusion:
The rapid fall in plasma ghrelin concentration in obese children after glucose load suggests a mechanism for the control of appetite after food intake.
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