Growth hormone–releasing hormone (GHRH), also known as somatocrinin among other names in its

endogenous Endogeny, in biology, refers to the property of originating or developing from within an organism, tissue, or cell. For example, ''endogenous substances'', and ''endogenous processes'' are those that originate within a living system (e.g. an ...

form and as somatorelin (

INN Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway. Before the advent of motorized transportation, they also provided accomm ...

) in its pharmaceutical form, is a

releasing hormone Releasing hormones and inhibiting hormones are hormones whose main purpose is to control the release of other hormones, either by stimulating or inhibiting their release. They are also called liberins () and statins () (respectively), or releasing ...

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 ...

(GH). It is a 44-

amino acid Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although over 500 amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the 22 α-amino acids incorporated into proteins. Only these 22 a ...

peptide hormone Peptide hormones are hormones composed of peptide molecules. These hormones influence the endocrine system of animals, including humans. Most hormones are classified as either amino-acid-based hormones (amines, peptides, or proteins) or steroid h ...

produced in the

arcuate nucleus The arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARH), or ARC, is also known as the infundibular nucleus to distinguish it from the arcuate nucleus of the medulla oblongata in the brainstem. The arcuate nucleus is an aggregation of neurons in the medio ...

of the

hypothalamus The hypothalamus (: hypothalami; ) is a small part of the vertebrate brain that contains a number of nucleus (neuroanatomy), nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions is to link the nervous system to the endocrin ...

. GHRH first appears in the human hypothalamus between 18 and 29 weeks of gestation, which corresponds to the start of production of growth hormone and other somatotropes in fetuses.

Nomenclature

* Endogenous: ** somatocrinin ** somatoliberin ** growth hormone–releasing hormone (GHRH or GH-RH; HGNC symbol is GHRH) ** growth hormone–releasing factor (GHRF or GRF) ** somatotropin-releasing hormone (SRH) ** somatotropin-releasing factor (SRF) * Pharmaceutical: ** somatorelin (

)

Origin

GHRH is released from neurosecretory nerve terminals of these arcuate neurons, and is carried by the hypothalamo-

hypophyseal portal system The hypophyseal portal system is a system of blood vessels in the microcirculation at the base of the brain, connecting the hypothalamus with the anterior pituitary. Its main function is to quickly transport and exchange hormones between the hyp ...

to the

anterior pituitary gland The anterior pituitary (also called the adenohypophysis or pars anterior) is a major organ of the endocrine system. The anterior pituitary is the glandular, anterior lobe that together with the posterior pituitary (or neurohypophysis) makes up ...

, where it stimulates

(GH) secretion by stimulating 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 alpha subunit, Gs protein that causes a cascade of Cyclic adenosine monophosphate, cAMP vi ...

. GHRH is released in a pulsatile manner, stimulating similar pulsatile release of GH. In addition, GHRH also promotes slow-wave sleep directly. Growth hormone is required for normal postnatal growth, bone growth, regulatory effects on protein, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism.GeneGlobe -> GHRH Signaling
Retrieved on October 5, 2020

Effect

GHRH stimulates GH production and release by binding to the GHRH receptor (GHRHR) on cells in the anterior pituitary.

Receptor

The GHRHR is a member of the secretin family of

G protein-coupled receptor G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), also known as seven-(pass)-transmembrane domain receptors, 7TM receptors, heptahelical receptors, serpentine receptors, and G protein-linked receptors (GPLR), form a large group of evolutionarily related ...

s, and is located on

chromosome 7 Chromosome 7 is one of the 23 pairs of chromosomes in humans, who normally have two copies of this chromosome. Chromosome 7 spans about 160 million base pairs (the building material of DNA) and represents between 5 and 5.5 percent of the total DN ...

in humans. This protein is transmembranous with seven folds, and its molecular weight is approximately 44 kD.

Signal transduction

GHRH binding to GHRHR results in increased GH production mainly by the

cAMP-dependent pathway In the field of molecular biology, the cAMP-dependent pathway, also known as the adenylyl cyclase pathway, is a G protein-coupled receptor-triggered signaling cascade used in cell communication. Discovery cAMP was discovered by Earl Sutherla ...

, but also by the phospholipase C pathway (IP₃/DAG pathway), and other minor pathways. The

is initiated by the binding of GHRH to its receptor, causing receptor conformation that activates G_s alpha subunit of the closely associated G-Protein complex on the intracellular side. This results in stimulation of membrane-bound

adenylyl cyclase Adenylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.1, also commonly known as adenyl cyclase and adenylyl cyclase, abbreviated AC) is an enzyme with systematic name ATP diphosphate-lyase (cyclizing; 3′,5′-cyclic-AMP-forming). It catalyzes the following reaction: :A ...

and increased intracellular

cyclic adenosine monophosphate Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP, cyclic AMP, or 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate) is a second messenger, or cellular signal occurring within cells, that is important in many biological processes. cAMP is a derivative of adenosine tri ...

(cAMP). cAMP binds to and activates the regulatory subunits of

protein kinase A In cell biology, protein kinase A (PKA) is a family of serine-threonine kinases whose activity is dependent on cellular levels of cyclic AMP (cAMP). PKA is also known as cAMP-dependent protein kinase (). PKA has several functions in the cell, in ...

(PKA), allowing the free catalytic subunits to translocate to the nucleus and phosphorylate the transcription factor cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB). Phosphorylated CREB, together with its coactivators, p300 and

CREB-binding protein CREB-binding protein, also known as CREBBP or CBP or KAT3A, (where CREB is cAMP response element-binding protein) is a coactivator encoded by the ''CREBBP'' gene in humans, located on chromosome 16p13.3. CBP has intrinsic acetyltransferase fun ...

(CBP) enhances the transcription of GH by binding to CREs cAMP-response elements in the

promoter region In genetics, a promoter is a sequence of DNA to which proteins bind to initiate transcription of a single RNA transcript from the DNA downstream of the promoter. The RNA transcript may encode a protein (mRNA), or can have a function in and of it ...

of the GH gene. It also increases transcription of the GHRHR gene, providing

positive feedback Positive feedback (exacerbating feedback, self-reinforcing feedback) is a process that occurs in a feedback loop where the outcome of a process reinforces the inciting process to build momentum. As such, these forces can exacerbate the effects ...

. In the phospholipase C pathway, GHRH stimulates phospholipase C (PLC) through the

βγ-complex The G beta-gamma complex (Gβγ) is a tightly bound dimeric protein complex, composed of one Gβ and one Gγ subunit, and is a component of heterotrimeric G proteins. Heterotrimeric G proteins, also called guanine nucleotide-binding proteins, con ...

of heterotrimeric G-proteins. PLC activation produces both

diacylglycerol A diglyceride, or diacylglycerol (DAG), is a glyceride consisting of two fatty acid chains covalently bonded to a glycerol molecule through ester linkages. Two possible forms exist, 1,2-diacylglycerols and 1,3-diacylglycerols. Diglycerides are n ...

(DAG) and

inositol triphosphate Inositol trisphosphate or inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate abbreviated InsP3 or Ins3P or IP3 is an inositol phosphate signaling molecule. It is made by hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), a phospholipid that is located in the p ...

(IP₃), the latter leading to release of intracellular Ca²⁺ from the

endoplasmic reticulum The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a part of a transportation system of the eukaryote, eukaryotic cell, and has many other important functions such as protein folding. The word endoplasmic means "within the cytoplasm", and reticulum is Latin for ...

, increasing cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration, resulting in vesicle fusion and release of secretory vesicles containing premade growth hormone. Some Ca²⁺ influx is also a direct action of cAMP, which is distinct from the usual ''cAMP-dependent pathway'' of activating ''protein kinase A''. Activation of GHRHRs by GHRH also conveys opening of

Na+ channel Sodium channels are integral membrane proteins that form ion channels, conducting sodium ions (Na+) through a cell (biology), cell's cell membrane, membrane. They belong to the Cation channel superfamily, superfamily of cation channels. Classific ...

s by

phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate or PtdIns(4,5)''P''2, also known simply as PIP2 or PI(4,5)P2, is a minor phospholipid component of cell membranes. PtdIns(4,5)''P''2 is enriched at the plasma membrane where it is a substrate for a number of ...

, causing cell depolarization. The resultant change in the intracellular voltage opens a

voltage-dependent calcium channel Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), also known as voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs), are a group of voltage-gated ion channels found in the membrane of excitable cells (''e.g.'' muscle, glial cells, neurons) with a permeability t ...

, resulting in vesicle fusion and release of GH.

Relationship of GHRH and somatostatin

The actions of GHRH are opposed by

somatostatin Somatostatin, also known as growth hormone-inhibiting hormone (GHIH) or by #Nomenclature, several other names, is a peptide hormone that regulates the endocrine system and affects neurotransmission and cell proliferation via interaction with G ...

(growth-hormone-inhibiting hormone). Somatostatin is released from neurosecretory nerve terminals of periventricular somatostatin neurons, and is carried by the hypothalamo-hypophyseal portal circulation to the anterior pituitary where it inhibits GH secretion. Somatostatin and GHRH are secreted in alternation, giving rise to the markedly pulsatile secretion of GH.

Other functions

GHRH expression has been demonstrated in peripheral cells and tissues outside its main site in the hypothalamus, for example, in the pancreas, epithelial mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract and, pathologically, in tumour cells.

Sequence

The

amino acid sequence Protein primary structure is the linear sequence of amino acids in a peptide or protein. By convention, the primary structure of a protein is reported starting from the amino-terminal (N) end to the carboxyl-terminal (C) end. Protein biosynthe ...

(44 long) of human GHRH is: HO - Tyr - Ala - Asp - Ala - Ile - Phe - Thr - Asn - Ser - Tyr - Arg - Lys - Val - Leu - Gly - Gln - Leu - Ser - Ala - Arg - Lys - Leu - Leu - Gln - Asp - Ile - Met - Ser - Arg - Gln - Gln - Gly - Glu - Ser - Asn - Gln - Glu - Arg - Gly - Ala - Arg - Ala - Arg - Leu - NH₂

Analogs

Growth-hormone-releasing hormone is the

lead compound A lead compound (, i.e. a "leading" compound, not to be confused with various compounds of the metallic element lead) in drug discovery is a chemical compound that has pharmacological or biological activity likely to be therapeutically useful, but ...

for a number of

structural A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...

and functional analogs, such as Pro-Pro-hGHRH(1-44)-Gly-Gly-Cys, CJC-1293, and CJC-1295. Many GHRH analogs remain primarily

research chemicals Research chemicals are chemical substances which scientists use for medical and scientific research purposes. One characteristic of a research chemical is that it is for laboratory research use only; a research chemical is not intended for human ...

, although some have specific applications. Sermorelin, a functional

peptide Peptides are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. A polypeptide is a longer, continuous, unbranched peptide chain. Polypeptides that have a molecular mass of 10,000 Da or more are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty am ...

fragment of GHRH, has been used in the diagnosis of deficiencies in growth hormone secretion.

Tesamorelin Tesamorelin (INN; trade name Egrifta SV) is a synthetic form of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) which is used in the treatment of HIV-associated lipodystrophy, approved initially in 2010. It is produced and developed by Theratechnologies ...

, under the trade name Egrifta, received U.S.

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

approval in 2010 for the treatment of

lipodystrophy Lipodystrophy syndromes are a group of genetic or acquired disorders in which the body is unable to produce and maintain healthy fat tissue. The medical condition is characterized by abnormal or degenerative conditions of the body's adipose tissu ...

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...

patients under

highly active antiretroviral therapy The management of HIV/AIDS normally includes the use of multiple antiretroviral drugs as a strategy to control HIV infection. There are several classes of antiretroviral agents that act on different stages of the HIV life-cycle. The use of mul ...

, and, in 2011, was investigated for effects on certain cognitive tests in the elderly. As a category, the use of GHRH analogs by professional athletes may be prohibited by restrictions on

doping in sport In competitive sports, doping is the use of banned athletic performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) by athletes, as a way of cheating. As stated in the World Anti-Doping Code by WADA, doping is defined as the occurrence of one or more of the anti-d ...

because they act as growth hormone

secretagogue In endocrinology, secretagogue is a substance that causes another substance to be secreted. The word contains the suffix '' -agogue'', which refers to something that ''leads'' to something else; a secretagogue thus leads to secretion. One example ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Growth hormone-releasing hormone Peptide hormones Hormones of the somatotropic axis Neuroendocrinology Human hormones Growth hormone secretagogues Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor agonists