Growth hormone-releasing peptide 1

Growth hormone-releasing peptide 1 (GHRP-1) is a synthetic met-enkephalin analog containing unnatural D-amino acids, developed for its potent growth hormone (GH) releasing activity. It belongs to the class of GH secretagogues and acts as a stimulator of GH release from the pituitary gland. Unlike endogenous growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), GHRP-1 shares no sequence similarity with GHRH and exerts its effects through a different receptor, primarily the ghrelin receptor (growth hormone secretagogue receptor type 1a, GHS-R1a). In addition to stimulating GH secretion in a dose-dependent manner via increased intracellular calcium levels, GHRP family peptides have demonstrated cytoprotective effects in various tissues by activating prosurvival pathways and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. They lack opioid activity despite being met-enkephalin analogs[1][3][4][6].

Other names

Ala-his-3-(2-naphthalenyl)-d-ala-ala-trp-d-phe-lys-nh2L-alanyl-l-histidyl-3-(2-naphthalenyl)-d-alanyl-l-alanyl-l-tryptophyl-d-phenylalanyl-l-lysinamide