title: Arginine enhances the growth hormone-releasing activity of a synthetic hexapeptide (GHRP-6) in elderly but not in young subjects after oral administration.
abstract: In man the GH-releasing hexapeptide His-DTrp-Ala-Trp-DPhe-Lys-NH2 (GHRP-6) has been shown to be active even after oral administration. On the other hand, it has been shown that arginine (ARG) totally restores the reduced somatotropic responsiveness to GHRH observed in aging. Based on the foregoing, in this study we verified the GH-releasing activity of oral GHRP-6 (300 micrograms/kg) in normal aging and the possible enhancing effect of 8 g oral ARG on the GH-releasing effect of GHRP-6. Eight young (age 24-32 yr) and 8 elderly (age 66-85 yr) subjects were studied. In all the GH response to GHRH (1 microgram/kg iv) was also studied. Both IGF-I levels and the GH response to iv GHRH were lower in elderly than in young subjects (mean +/- SE, IGF-I: 65.1 +/- 9.1 vs 142.9 +/- 9.4 micrograms/L, p < 0.0001; GH peak: 5.4 +/- 1.0 vs 13.6 +/- 0.8 micrograms/L, p < 0.0001). Oral GHRP-6 administration induced a GH rise in elderly which was lower, though not significantly, than that in young subjects (GH peak: 9.9 +/- 2.0 vs 16.2 +/- 5.4 micrograms/L). Oral ARG administration enhanced the GHRP-6-induced GH rise in elderly (GH peak: 22.1 +/- 3.3 micrograms/L, p < 0.01 vs GHRP-6 alone) while failed to modify it in young subjects (GH peak: 13.5 +/- 3.4 micrograms/L). The GH response to oral ARG+GHRP-6 in elderly was higher than that to all stimuli in young adults (p < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Clinica, Università di Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ghigo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arvat
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bellone
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nicolosi
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Boffano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mucci
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Boghen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Camanni
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001120:Arginine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D009842:Oligopeptides; C041048:growth hormone releasing hexapeptide; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone; D001120:Arginine