Growth hormone secretagogue receptor secretagogue receptor is activated, a variety of different intracellular signaling cascades can result, depending on the cell type in which the receptor is expressed. These intracellular signaling cascades include mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)), protein kinase A (PKA), protein kinase B (PKB), also known as AKT), and AMP Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) cascades. It is well-characterized that activating the growth hormone secretagogue receptor with ghrelin induces an orexigenic state, or general feeling of hunger. However, ghrelin may also play a role in behavioral reinforcement. Studies in animal models, found that food intake increased when ghrelin was specifically administered to just the
Melanin-concentrating hormone receptor 2 Melanin-concentrating hormone receptor 2 Melanin-concentrating hormone receptor 2 (MCH) also known as G-protein coupled receptor 145 (GPR145) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the "MCHR2" gene. MCH is also found in dogs, ferrets, and some other primates and carnivores, but is not found in mice or rats. This has delayed research into the receptor as a therapeutic target, due to most early pharmaceutical research usually being conducted in small mammals such as mice, rats or rabbits which lack the MCH gene and its receptor product. Treatment of human cells expressing MCHR2 with MCH resulted in upregulation of