Description

GHRP-6 PEPTIDE is studied for its potential as a powerful stimulant that helps release natural growth hormone (GH) from the anterior pituitary gland. In addition, it may also act as a ghrelin/growth hormone receptor agonist and is amongst the ghrelin analogs developed in recent decades. It has been observed to deliver a positive influence on cardiac muscle cells, scar formation, memory formation, sex motivation, and the neurons associated with Parkinson’s disease. The peptide is orally and sublingually active and moderately to highly specific in its action.

GHRP-6 (growth hormone releasing peptide 6) is a synthetic compound made of six amino acids. It can elicit the release of growth hormone (GH)1. Early work on GHRP-6 and similar peptides indicated that they have no structural similarity to growth hormone releasing hormone, however2. There are two analogs of GHRP-6; GHRP-6 peptide and [D-Lys-3]-GHRP-6. [D-Lys-3]-GHRP-6 has an antagonist effect on the GH secretagogue receptor (GHS-R), or the receptor for ghrelin3. Therefore, such a peptide may be used in animal studies that assess the role of this important biomolecule in various processes related to hunger and metabolic regulation. For example, ghrelin may have a role in enhancing the release of insulin in response to food intake, through the release of GLP-1 from specialized cells in the intestine4. [D-Lys-3]-GHRP-6 has demonstrated the ability to counteract this effect4. It may also be used to determine the locations of the GHS-R, e.g. in the ventral tegmental area of the brain3. [D-Lys-3]-GHRP-6 has demonstrated the ability to reduce the extent of DNA synthesis in the gastric glands of infant rats, indicating a role for ghrelin in the development of the stomach after birth5.

The GHRP-6 peptide, on the other hand, has a dose-dependent agonist effect on the GHS receptor6. However, it appears not to match ghrelin in terms of specificity6. GHRP-6 has demonstrated positive effects on organ growth and regeneration in various studies. Its administration resulted in a threefold increase in the migration, but not proliferation, of rat-intestine epithelial cells, indicating a role for the peptide in restoring gut function7. Intraperitoneal GHRP-6 peptide (at a concentration of 120 μg/kg) also significantly inhibited the effects of an animal model of multiple organ damage (i.e. ischemia-reperfusion injury)7. A combination of GHRP-6 and recombinant human epidermal growth factor (administered at concentrations of either 100 or 600 μg per kg) had a significantly detrimental effects on the neurological damage expected as a result of experimentally-induced ischemic stroke in gerbils8.