title: Effects of a 7-day treatment with a novel, orally active, growth hormone (GH) secretagogue, MK-677, on 24-hour GH profiles, insulin-like growth factor I, and adrenocortical function in normal young men.
abstract: To assess the effects of prolonged administration of a novel analog of GH-releasing peptide (MK-677), nine healthy young men participated in a randomized, double blind, three-period cross-over comparison of orally administered placebo and 5- and 25-mg doses of MK-677. Each period involved bedtime administration of the drug for 7 consecutive days. At the end of each period, plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) were measured at 0745 h, and 24-h profiles of plasma GH and cortisol were obtained at 15-min intervals together with the 24-h urinary excretion of free cortisol. Profiles of plasma free cortisol were calculated at hourly intervals. The amounts of GH secreted were similar in all three conditions, but GH pulse frequency was increased with both dosages of the drug, primarily because of an increase in the number of low amplitude pulses. Plasma IGF-I levels were increased in a dose-dependent manner, whereas IGFBP-3 levels were increased only with the highest dosage. There was a positive relationship between GH pulse frequency and IGF-I increase. Except for an advance in the nocturnal nadir and in the morning elevation, MK-677 had no effect on cortisol profiles. In particular, 24-h mean levels of plasma total and free cortisol and urinary excretion of free cortisol were similar under all conditions. The present data suggest that the use of MK-677 for the treatment of relative somatotropic deficiency, particularly in older adults compromised by such deficiency, deserves further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Biological Rhythms, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Copinschi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Onderbergen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: L'Hermite-Balériaux
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mendel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caufriez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leproult
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bolognese
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Smet
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Thorner
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Cauter
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000187:drug effects; D013141:Spiro Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007211:Indoles; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D013141:Spiro Compounds; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone; C094817:ibutamoren mesylate