title: Effects of growth hormone-releasing peptide-6 on the nocturnal secretion of GH, ACTH and cortisol and on the sleep EEG in man: role of routes of administration.
abstract: After repeated intravenous (i.v.) boluses of growth hormone-releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) we found recently increases of growth hormone (GH), corticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol levels and of the amount of stage 2 sleep. In clinical use, oral (p.o.), intranasal (i.n.) and sublingual (s.l.) routes of administration have advantages over i.v. administration. We compared the sleep-endocrine effects of 300 microg/kg of body weight (b.w.) GHRP-6 in enteric-coated capsules given p.o. at 21.00 h and of 30 microg/kg GHRP-6 i.n. or 30 microg/kg GHRP-6 sl. given at 22.45 h in normal young male controls with placebo conditions. After GHRP-6 p.o. secretion of GH, ACTH and cortisol remained unchanged. The only effect of GHRP-6 s.l. was a trend toward an increase in GH in the first half of the night. GHRP-6 i.n. prompted a significant increase in GH concentration during the total night and a trend toward an increase in ACTH secretion during the first half of the night, whereas cortisol secretion remained unchanged. Furthermore, after GHRP-6 i.n., sleep stage 2 increased in the second half of the night by trend, and spectral analysis of total night non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep revealed a decrease of delta power by trend. In contrast sleep stage 2 decreased during the second half of the night after GHRP-6 p.o. Our data demonstrate that GHRP-6 is capable of modulating GH and ACTH secretion as well as sleep. However, the effects depend upon dosage, duration and route of administration.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Frieboes
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murck
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Antonijevic
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steiger
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009842:Oligopeptides; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; C041048:growth hormone releasing hexapeptide; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone