A five day treatment with daily subcutaneous injections of growth hormone-releasing peptide-2 causes response attenuation and does not stimulate insulin-like growth factor-I secretion in healthy young men.
The synthetic hexapeptide growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP)-2 specifically stimulates GH release in man. To determine the effects of prolonged treatment and whether response attenuation occurs in man, we administered to nine healthy subjects a daily s.c. injection of 100 microg GHRP-2 over 5 days. Every day blood samples were taken to determine GH, IGF-I, IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-3 and osteocalcin levels. On days 1,3 and 5, GH was measured at -20,0,20,40,60,90,120 and 180 min using an immunometric and an immunofunctional assay. Mean-/+S.D). peak GH concentrations were 83+/-31, 59+/-22 and 51+/-13 microg/l on days 1, 3 and 5 respectively. Mean+/-S.D. areas under the curve for days 1, 3 and 5 were 6366+/-2514, 3987 +/- 1418 and 3392+/-1215 mU/l per min. Despite the maintained GH release, analysis of variance revealed that significant response attenuation occurred (P < 0.01). Mean serum IGF-I concentration did not increase after a 5 day treatment with GHRP-2. Mean basal levels were 22, 25,23,25,23,24 nmol/l measured on days 1 to 6. However, osteocalcin, another serum marker of GH activity in tissue, increased significantly from 3.2+/-1.0 to 4.2+/-0.4 microg/l (mean+S.D.) (P< 0.01).
Nijland
E A
EA
Department of Endocrinology, Free University Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Strasburger
C J
CJ
Popp-Snijders
C
C
van der Wal
P S
PS
van der Veen
E A
EA
D000328:Adult; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood
D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D009842:Oligopeptides; D015675:Osteocalcin; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D011388:Prolactin; C091874:growth hormone-releasing peptide-2; D006854:Hydrocortisone