GHRP-2 is an orally bioavailable synthetic growth hormone (GH) secretagogue and an agonist of the GH secretagogue receptor (GHS-R), which is also known as the ghrelin receptor.1 It induces GH release from primary rat pituitary cells (EC50 = 1.8 nM) and binds to human hypothalamic membranes (IC50 = 16 nM).2,3 GHRP-2 increases blood GH levels in anesthetized rats (ED50 = 30 nmol/kg) and serum GH levels in conscious pigs (ED50 = 0.6 nmol/kg).2 It also increases food intake and body weight gain in rats when administered at a dose of 100 μg/kg per day.4
|1. Peroni, C.N., Hayashida, C.Y., Nascimento, N., et al. Growth hormone response to growth hormone-releasing peptide-2 in growth hormone-deficient little mice. Clinics (Sao Paulo) 67(3), 265-272 (2012).|2. Ankersen, M., Johansen, N.L., Madsen, K., et al. A new series of highly potent growth hormone-releasing peptides derived from ipamorelin. J. Med. Chem. 41(19), 3699-3704 (1998).|3. Muccioli, G., GhÈ, C., Ghigo, M.C., et al. Specific receptors for synthetic GH secretagogues in the human brain and pituitary gland. J. Endocrinol. 157(1), 99-106 (1998).|4. Granado, M., Priego, T., MartÍn, A.I., et al. Anti-inflammatory effect of the ghrelin agonist growth hormone-releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2) in arthritic rats. Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 288(3), E486-E492 (2005).