GHRP-6
Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-6, Growth hormone-releasing hexapeptide, His-D-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH2
A receptor in pituitary and hypothalamus that functions in growth hormone release.
Howard. A D AD; Feighner. S D SD; Cully. D F DF; Arena. J P JP; Liberator. P A PA; Rosenblum. C I CI; Hamelin. M M; Hreniuk. D L DL; Palyha. O C OC; Anderson. J J; Paress. P S PS; Diaz. C C; Chou. M M; Liu. K K KK; McKee. K K KK; Pong. S S SS; Chaung. L Y LY; Elbrecht. A A; Dashkevicz. M M; Heavens. R R; Rigby. M M; Sirinathsinghji. D J DJ; Dean. D C DC; Melillo. D G DG; Patchett. A A AA; Nargund. R R; Griffin. P R PR; DeMartino. J A JA; Gupta. S K SK; Schaeffer. J M JM; Smith. R G RG; Van der Ploeg. L H LH
Key Findings
- Growth hormone secretagogues (like GHRP‑6) act on a specific G‑protein‑coupled receptor in the pituitary and hypothalamus.
- The receptor was cloned from both pig and human tissue, proving it exists in humans.
- This receptor defines a neuroendocrine pathway that controls the natural pulsatile release of growth hormone.
Practical Outcomes
- Knowing the exact receptor GHRP‑6 targets helps biohackers understand why it boosts growth hormone spikes. It validates current use of GHRP‑6 for GH elevation but doesn’t change dosing or protocol on its own. The finding mainly supports the biological plausibility of GHRP‑6 rather than offering new actionable steps.
Summary
Scientists identified and cloned the receptor in the pituitary and hypothalamus that GHRP-6 and similar growth‑hormone‑releasing compounds bind to, confirming how these peptides trigger a burst of growth hormone.
Abstract
Small synthetic molecules termed growth hormone secretagogues (GHSs) act on the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus to stimulate and amplify pulsatile growth hormone (GH) release. A heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptor (GPC-R) of the pituitary and arcuate ventro-medial and infundibular hypothalamus of swine and humans was cloned and was shown to be the target of the GHSs. On the basis of its pharmacological and molecular characterization, this GPC-R defines a neuroendocrine pathway for the control of pulsatile GH release and supports the notion that the GHSs mimic an undiscovered hormone.
Study Information
pubmed
1996
1996-08-16T00:00:00.000Z
10.1126/science.273.5277.974
2067
33