Obestatin: canonical and unexpected functions

Abstract

The functions of appetite-regulating hormones have been studied for decades with the aim of finding a solution to the problem of obesity. Among these molecules, a small peptide called obestatin has emerged as an anorexigenic hormone, with an antagonistic effect to the hunger hormone ghrelin. After years of controversy regarding its function in food intake and the establishment of its receptor, GPR39, obestatin is currently being proposed as a powerful therapeutic candidate for pathologies associated with skeletal muscle. Several studies have demonstrated its key role as a regulatory peptide in myogenesis, thereby increasing regeneration in acute muscle damage. Obestatin promotes vascularization and reduces fibrosis in regenerated tissue, while also increasing muscle strength in muscle atrophy pathologies associated with glucocorticoid treatment and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This review describes the main mechanisms and signaling pathways regulated by the obestatin peptide in muscle pathology.