Effect of a new synthetic hexapeptide to selectively stimulate growth hormone release in healthy human subjects.

Growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP, SK&F 110679) is a hexapeptide (His-DTrp-Ala-Trp-DPhe-LysNH2) that selectively stimulates the release of growth hormone (GH) but not other pituitary hormones in vitro and in vivo in a variety of animal species. GHRP was administered to 17 normal men at doses of from 0.05 to 2.5 micrograms/kg as a 30 min intravenous infusion. Eight of the men were infused with saline as a control. Serum GH increased consistently at doses of 0.25 microgram/kg and above during the infusion of the peptide, peaked at 45 min and then decreased to baseline values by 210 min. The mean peak serum GH concentrations (+/- SE) in response to GHRP infusion were 17.8 +/- 6.1 micrograms/L at a dose of 0.25 microgram/kg (n = 4, p = .03 vs saline), 38.3 +/- 9.2 micrograms/L at 0.5 microgram/kg (n = 4, p = .04 vs saline) and 63.0 +/- 5.4 micrograms/L at 1.0 microgram/kg (n = 4, p = .002 vs saline). Serum LH, FSH, TSH and ACTH were unaffected by GHRP administration. GHRP was safe and well-tolerated in all men. GHRP infusion resulted in a dramatic, selective and dose-dependent increase in serum GH concentrations.