Study summary · research use only
Pancreatic effect of a hypoglycaemic fragment of human growth hormone (hGH 6-13)
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
In this rat study, the pancreatic effect of a hypoglycaemic fragment of human growth hormone (hGH 6-13), containing the amino acid sequence Leu-Ser-Arg-Leu-Phe-Asp-Asn-Ala, was investigated. In partially pancreatectomized rats, hGH 6-13 (3 mg/kg body weight) enhanced glucose utilization in blood as shown by intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTTs), though basal plasma insulin levels were not apparently affected by acute administration and only slightly changed with prolonged treatment. In isolated pancreatic islets from normal and hGH 6-13-treated rats, hGH 6-13 did not influence insulin release without glucose present but potentiated glucose-induced insulin secretion from islets of treated animals, with a 42% increase in glucose oxidation observed after exposure to hGH 6-13. The authors describe the fragment's mechanism as differing molecularly from oral sulphonylureas, and its pancreatic effect as glucose-dependent.
Abstract
The pancreatic effect of a hypoglycaemic fragment of human growth hormone containing the amino acid sequence Leu-Ser-Arg-Leu-Phe-Asp-Asn-Ala (hGH 6-13), was investigated. In partially pancreatectomized rats, hGH 6-13 (3 mg/kg body weight) enhanced glucose utilization in blood as demonstrated in intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTTs). However, the basal levels of plasma insulin in the animals were apparently not affected by acute administration of the hGH fragment and only slightly modulated with prolonged hGH fragment treatment. Direct studies with the isolated pancreatic islets from normal and hGH 6-13 treated rats showed that hGH 6-13 did not influence in vitro or ex vivo insulin release in the absence of glucose but significantly potentiated the glucose-induced insulin secretion of the pancreatic islets from treated animals. An increase of 42% in glucose oxidation of the isolated pancreatic islets after exposure to hGH 6-13 was observed. This study reveals significant differences in the molecular mechanism of the hypoglycaemic action between the hGH fragments and orally active sulphonylureas. The findings suggest that the hypoglycaemic hGH fragments, structurally unrelated to sulphonylureas, could be a new group of effective agents to achieve blood glucose normalization without the risk of hyperinsulinaemia, as their pancreatic effect is glucose-dependent.
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