Study summary · research use only
Does desensitization to hexarelin occur?
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This human study in 12 healthy elderly individuals examined whether the growth-hormone-releasing peptide hexarelin, given by twice-daily subcutaneous injection for 16 weeks, showed a reduced GH-release response over time. Mean area under the GH curve (AUCGH) was 19.1 at week 0, 13.1 at week 1, 12.3 at week 4, and 10.5 microg/l/hour at week 16, a change described as significant over the study period. The decreases at weeks 4 and 16 were significant compared with baseline. Four weeks after the study ended, hexarelin was given again and AUCGH increased to 19.4 microg/l/hour, not significantly different from the week 0 value. The authors report that the decline in GH response with long-term hexarelin treatment was partial and reversible.
Abstract
Hexarelin, a potent growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptide, is capable of causing profound GH release in normal individuals. If the GH response to hexarelin in humans becomes appreciably attenuated following long-term administration, this would seriously limit the potential therapeutic use of hexarelin and similar agents. The effect of twice-daily subcutaneous injections of hexarelin on GH release was therefore investigated over a period of 16 weeks in 12 healthy elderly individuals. The mean (+/- SEM) areas under the GH curve (AUCGH) at weeks 0, 1, 4 and 16 were 19.1 +/- 2.4, 13.1 +/- 2.3, 12.3 +/- 2.4 and 10.5 +/- 1.8 microg/l/hour, respectively. There was a significant change in AUCGH over the study period (P = 0.0003). Further analysis showed that the decreases in AUCGH at weeks 4 and 16 were significant (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively) compared with baseline values. Four weeks after completion of the 16-week study period, hexarelin was again administered. On this occasion, AUCGH increased significantly compared with that at week 16 (from 10.5 +/- 1.8 to 19.4 +/- 3.7 microg/l/hour; P < 0.05) and was not significantly different compared with that at week 0. These results show that attenuation of the GH response after long-term hexarelin therapy is partial and reversible.
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