The growth hormone response to hexarelin in children: reproducibility and effect of sex steroids.

Loche S, Colao A, Cappa M, Bellone J, Aimaretti G, Farello G, Faedda A, Lombardi G, Deghenghi R, Ghigo E

The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism1 Mar 1997Cited by 52 (Europe PMC)

PMID9062497DOI10.1210/jcem.82.3.3795PepBankPUB-09062497

Summary

The text of this summary is not shown here, because the article license does not allow reuse. Read it at the source (opens in a new tab)

Text rights: Publisher copyright. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study7

4 results from studies that gave the peptide. 4 results from people.

01HumanNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome
In 25 prepubertal short normal children tested twice, the mean GH peak after hexarelin was similar on the first and second test.
In plain wordsIn children tested twice, the growth hormone peak after hexarelin was similar both times.
Peptide
Hexarelin
Outcome
No significant changeReproducibility of GH peak after hexarelin
Study
n = 25
Outcome group
Growth hormone and IGF-1 · Endocrine and hormones
Studied dose
2 micrograms/kg · intravenousAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
In the 25 children tested twice, the mean GH peak and mean area under the curve after the first and second tests were similar.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Twenty-five children were tested on two occasions 3-7 days apart with 2 micrograms/kg, i.v., Hex.
Report a problemFND-0906249701
02HumanNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome
In 25 prepubertal short normal children tested twice, the mean GH area under the curve after hexarelin was similar on the first and second test.
In plain wordsIn children tested twice, the total growth hormone response to hexarelin was similar both times.
Peptide
Hexarelin
Outcome
No significant changeReproducibility of GH AUC after hexarelin
Study
n = 25
Outcome group
Growth hormone and IGF-1 · Endocrine and hormones
Studied dose
2 micrograms/kg · intravenousAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
In the 25 children tested twice, the mean GH peak and mean area under the curve after the first and second tests were similar.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Twenty-five children were tested on two occasions 3-7 days apart with 2 micrograms/kg, i.v., Hex.
Report a problemFND-0906249702
03HumanNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome
In prepubertal short normal children, the mean coefficient of variation of the GH peak response to hexarelin was 22.7%.
In plain wordsIn children, the growth hormone peak after hexarelin varied by about 22.7% between two tests.
Peptide
Hexarelin
Outcome
Not applicableCoefficient of variation of GH peak
Study
n = 25
Outcome group
Growth hormone and IGF-1 · Endocrine and hormones
Studied dose
2 micrograms/kg · intravenousAs given in this study (human).
Measurements
Coefficient of variation
22.7%
GH peak
Source sentences
Summary
The mean (+/- SD) coefficients of variation of the GH peak and area under the curve responses to Hex was 22.7 +/- 21.0% and 24.0 +/- 20.7%, respectively.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Twenty-five children were tested on two occasions 3-7 days apart with 2 micrograms/kg, i.v., Hex.
Report a problemFND-0906249703
04HumanNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome
In prepubertal short normal children, the mean coefficient of variation of the GH AUC response to hexarelin was 24.0%.
In plain wordsIn children, the total growth hormone response to hexarelin varied by about 24.0% between two tests.
Peptide
Hexarelin
Outcome
Not applicableCoefficient of variation of GH AUC
Study
n = 25
Outcome group
Growth hormone and IGF-1 · Endocrine and hormones
Studied dose
2 micrograms/kg · intravenousAs given in this study (human).
Measurements
Coefficient of variation
24%
GH AUC
Source sentences
Summary
The mean (+/- SD) coefficients of variation of the GH peak and area under the curve responses to Hex was 22.7 +/- 21.0% and 24.0 +/- 20.7%, respectively.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Twenty-five children were tested on two occasions 3-7 days apart with 2 micrograms/kg, i.v., Hex.
Report a problemFND-0906249704

Studies that did not test the peptide alone3

In this study, Hexarelin was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. These results are not evidence about taking Hexarelin.

05HumanNot a test of Hexarelin aloneNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome
In 15 prepubertal children, ethinyl estradiol priming increased the GH response to hexarelin (P < 0.005).
In plain wordsIn children, estrogen given beforehand increased the growth hormone response to hexarelin.
Peptide
Hexarelin
Outcome
IncreaseEffect of ethinyl estradiol priming on GH response to hexarelin
Study
n = 15
Outcome group
Growth hormone and IGF-1 · Endocrine and hormones
Source sentences
Summary
Priming with T and EE resulted in an increased GH response to Hex [41.8 +/- 21.0 before vs. 71.1 +/- 28.3 after T (P < 0.001); 43.0 +/- 14.5 before vs. 60.0 +/- 20.0 after EE (P < 0.005)], whereas Ox administration had no effect on the Hex-induced GH release.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Twenty-five children were tested on two occasions 3-7 days apart with 2 micrograms/kg, i.v., Hex.
In this study, Hexarelin was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Hexarelin.
Report a problemFND-0906249706
06HumanNot a test of Hexarelin aloneNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome
In 10 prepubertal boys, testosterone priming increased the GH response to hexarelin (P < 0.001).
In plain wordsIn boys, testosterone given beforehand increased the growth hormone response to hexarelin.
Peptide
Hexarelin
Outcome
IncreaseEffect of testosterone priming on GH response to hexarelin
Study
n = 10
Outcome group
Growth hormone and IGF-1 · Endocrine and hormones
Source sentences
Summary
Priming with T and EE resulted in an increased GH response to Hex [41.8 +/- 21.0 before vs. 71.1 +/- 28.3 after T (P < 0.001); 43.0 +/- 14.5 before vs. 60.0 +/- 20.0 after EE (P < 0.005)], whereas Ox administration had no effect on the Hex-induced GH release.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Twenty-five children were tested on two occasions 3-7 days apart with 2 micrograms/kg, i.v., Hex.
In this study, Hexarelin was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Hexarelin.
Report a problemFND-0906249705
07HumanNot a test of Hexarelin aloneNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome
In 8 prepubertal boys, oxandrolone administration had no effect on the hexarelin-induced GH release.
In plain wordsIn boys, oxandrolone given beforehand did not change the growth hormone response to hexarelin.
Peptide
Hexarelin
Outcome
No significant changeEffect of oxandrolone priming on GH response to hexarelin
Study
n = 8
Outcome group
Growth hormone and IGF-1 · Endocrine and hormones
Source sentences
Summary
whereas Ox administration had no effect on the Hex-induced GH release.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
The GH response to Hex was reevaluated after testosterone (T) administration in 10 boys, after ethinyl estradiol (EE) administration in 15 children (5 boys and 10 girls), and after oxandrolone (Ox) administration in 8 boys.
Summary · context
Twenty-five children were tested on two occasions 3-7 days apart with 2 micrograms/kg, i.v., Hex.
In this study, Hexarelin was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Hexarelin.
Report a problemFND-0906249707

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

Version 2Current
13 Oct 2026, 21:44 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
13 Oct 2026, 16:31 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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