In a lab study using black seabream pituitary cells, several growth‑hormone‑releasing peptides (including GHRP‑2) caused the cells to release growth hormone quickly, but they did not increase the amount of growth‑hormone mRNA. This means the hormone boost comes from releasing stored hormone, not from making more of it, at least in fish.

The action of a number of growth hormone secretagogues (GHS) on growth hormone (GH) secretion and gene expression was studied in a primary culture of pituitary cells isolated from the black seabream Acanthopagrus schlegeli. The peptide GHS employed included growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP)-2, ipamorelin, and human ghrelin. The nonpeptide GHS employed included the benzolactam GHS L692,585 and the spiropiperidine GHS L163,540. Secreted GH was measured in the culture medium by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method using a specific antibody against seabream GH. The GH mRNA content in the incubated cells was assessed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using a pair of gene-specific primers designed from the cloned black seabream GH cDNA sequence. A dose-dependent stimulation of GH release was demonstrated by all the GHS tested, except human ghrelin, with EC(50) values in the nanomolar range. Simultaneous measurement of GH mRNA levels in the incubated seabream pituitary cells indicated that the GHS-stimulated increase in GH secretion was not paralleled by corresponding changes in GH gene expression. In contrast to the situation previously reported in the rat, no change in GH gene expression was noticed in the seabream pituitary cells even though the time of stimulation by GHS was increased up to 48 h, confirming that the GHS-stimulated GH secretion in seabream is independent of GH gene transcription.