Growth hormone secretagogues or GH secretagogues (GHSs) are a class of

drug A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...

s which act as

secretagogue A secretagogue is a substance that causes another substance to be secreted. The word comes from Greek ''agōgos'', meaning "a leader" or "bringer"; thus "something that brings secretions". The same root is seen in completely unrelated words such as ...

s (i.e., induce the

secretion 440px Secretion is the movement of material from one point to another, such as a secreted chemical substance from a cell or gland. In contrast, excretion is the removal of certain substances or waste products from a cell or organism. The classical ...

) of

growth hormone Growth hormone (GH) or somatotropin, also known as human growth hormone (hGH or HGH) in its human form, is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus important in h ...

(GH). They include

agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the ago ...

s of the ghrelin/growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), such as

ghrelin Ghrelin (; or lenomorelin, INN) is a hormone produced by enteroendocrine cells of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the stomach, and is often called a "hunger hormone" because it increases the drive to eat. Blood levels of ghrelin are highe ...

(lenomorelin),

pralmorelin Pralmorelin (INN) (brand name GHRP Kaken 100; former developmental code names KP-102, GPA-748, WAY-GPA-748), also known as pralmorelin hydrochloride (JAN) and pralmorelin dihydrochloride (USAN), as well as, notably, growth hormone-releasing peptid ...

(GHRP-2),

GHRP-6 Growth hormone-releasing peptide 6 (GHRP-6) (developmental code name SKF-110679), also known as growth hormone-releasing hexapeptide, is one of several synthetic met-enkephalin analogues that include unnatural D-amino acids, were developed for ...

, examorelin (hexarelin),

ipamorelin Ipamorelin ( INN) (developmental code name NNC 26-0161) is a peptide selective agonist of the ghrelin/growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS) and a growth hormone secretagogue. It is a pentapeptide with the amino acid sequence Aib-His-D-2-Na ...

, and

ibutamoren Ibutamoren () (developmental code names MK-677, MK-0677, LUM-201, L-163,191; former tentative brand name Oratrope) is a potent, long-acting, orally-active, selective, and non-peptide agonist of the ghrelin receptor and a growth hormone secr ...

(MK-677), and agonists of the

growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor The growth-hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRHR) is a G-protein-coupled receptor that binds growth hormone-releasing hormone. The GHRHR activates a Gs protein that causes a cascade of cAMP via adenylate cyclase. Function This gene, exp ...

(GHRHR), such as

growth hormone-releasing hormone Growth may refer to: Biology * Auxology, the study of all aspects of human physical growth * Bacterial growth * Cell growth * Growth hormone, a peptide hormone that stimulates growth * Human development (biology) * Plant growth * Secondary growth ...

(GHRH, somatorelin),

CJC-1295 CJC-1295, also known as DAC:GRF (short for drug affinity complex:growth hormone-releasing factor), is a synthetic analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) (also known as ''growth hormone-releasing factor'' (''GRF'')) and a growth horm ...

sermorelin Sermorelin acetate (; brand names Geref, Gerel), also known as GHRH (1-29), is a peptide analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) which is used as a diagnostic agent to assess growth hormone (GH) secretion for the purpose of diagno ...

, and tesamorelin. Many of them also induce the secretion of

insulin-like growth factor 1 Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), also called somatomedin C, is a hormone similar in molecular structure to insulin which plays an important role in childhood growth, and has anabolic effects in adults. IGF-1 is a protein that in humans is ...

(IGF-1), as well as of other hypothalamic-pituitary hormones such as

prolactin Prolactin (PRL), also known as lactotropin, is a protein best known for its role in enabling mammals to produce milk. It is influential in over 300 separate processes in various vertebrates, including humans. Prolactin is secreted from the pit ...

and

cortisol Cortisol is a steroid hormone, in the glucocorticoid class of hormones. When used as a medication, it is known as hydrocortisone. It is produced in many animals, mainly by the ''zona fasciculata'' of the adrenal cortex in the adrenal gland ...

. The main clinical application of these agents is the treatment of

growth hormone deficiency Growth hormone deficiency (GHD), or human growth hormone deficiency, is a medical condition resulting from not enough growth hormone (GH). Generally the most noticeable symptom is that an individual attains a short height. Newborns may also presen ...

. They also see

black market A black market, underground economy, or shadow economy is a clandestine market or series of transactions that has some aspect of illegality or is characterized by noncompliance with an institutional set of rules. If the rule defines the se ...

use, similarly to

anabolic steroid Anabolic steroids, also known more properly as anabolic–androgenic steroids (AAS), are steroidal androgens that include natural androgens like testosterone (medication), testosterone as well as synthetic androgens that are structurally related ...

s, for

bodybuilding Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses ...

purposes.

GHRH receptor agonists

Peptide

* GHRH (Somatocrinin, GRF, GHRF) *

(DAC:GRF) *

Modified GRF (1-29) Modified GRF (1-29) often abbreviated as mod GRF (1-29), originally known as tetrasubstituted GRF (1-29), is a term used to identify a 29 amino acid peptide analogue of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), a releasing hormone of growth hormo ...

(CJC without DAC) * Dumorelin * Rismorelin *

Sermorelin Sermorelin acetate (; brand names Geref, Gerel), also known as GHRH (1-29), is a peptide analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) which is used as a diagnostic agent to assess growth hormone (GH) secretion for the purpose of diagno ...

(Geref, Gerel; GHRH (1-29)) * Somatorelin * Tesamorelin (Egrifta)

Ghrelin (GHS) receptor agonists

Peptide

Ghrelin Ghrelin (; or lenomorelin, INN) is a hormone produced by enteroendocrine cells of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the stomach, and is often called a "hunger hormone" because it increases the drive to eat. Blood levels of ghrelin are highe ...

(Lenomorelin, GHRL) * GHRP-1 *

GHRP-2 Pralmorelin (INN) (brand name GHRP Kaken 100; former developmental code names KP-102, GPA-748, WAY-GPA-748), also known as pralmorelin hydrochloride (JAN) and pralmorelin dihydrochloride (USAN 280px, "Samguk Sagi" Book 04. Silla's Records. In ...

(Pralmorelin; GHRP Kaken 100; GHRP-2; KP-102, GPA-748, WAY-GPA-748) * GHRP-3 * GHRP-4 * GHRP-5 *

(SKF-110679) * Alexamorelin * Examorelin (hexarelin; EP-23905, MF-6003) *

Ipamorelin Ipamorelin ( INN) (developmental code name NNC 26-0161) is a peptide selective agonist of the ghrelin/growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS) and a growth hormone secretagogue. It is a pentapeptide with the amino acid sequence Aib-His-D-2-Na ...

(NNC 26-0161) * Relamorelin (RM-131, BIM-28131, BIM-28163) * Tabimorelin (NN-703)

Non-peptide

Adenosine Adenosine ( symbol A) is an organic compound that occurs widely in nature in the form of diverse derivatives. The molecule consists of an adenine attached to a ribose via a β-N9-glycosidic bond. Adenosine is one of the four nucleoside building ...

* Anamorelin (ONO-7643, RC-1291, ST-1291) * Capromorelin (CP-424391) *

Ibutamoren Ibutamoren () (developmental code names MK-677, MK-0677, LUM-201, L-163,191; former tentative brand name Oratrope) is a potent, long-acting, orally-active, selective, and non-peptide agonist of the ghrelin receptor and a growth hormone secr ...

(MK-677, MK-0677, L-163191, LUM-201) * Macimorelin (AEZS-130, JMV 1843) * SM-130686 Note that while ulimorelin is a ghrelin receptor agonist, it is not a GHS as it is

peripherally selective Peripherally selective drugs have their primary mechanism of action outside of the central nervous system (CNS), usually because they are excluded from the CNS by the blood–brain barrier. By being excluded from the CNS, drugs may act on the rest ...

and has little or no effect on GH secretion.

References

Growth hormone secretagogues {{systemic-hormonal-drug-stub

GHRH receptor agonists

Peptide

Ghrelin (GHS) receptor agonists

Peptide

Non-peptide

See also

References