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Study · Animal study (in vivo) · rat · 2018

7 results

Improvement of cardiomyocyte function by in vivo hexarelin treatment in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Zhang X, Qu L, Chen L, Chen C

Physiological reports1 Feb 2018Cited by 5 (Europe PMC)

PMID29446246 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC5812882 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.14814/phy2.13612 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-29446246
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Summary

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is characterized by diastolic and systolic cardiac dysfunction, yet no therapeutic drug to specifically treat it. Hexarelin has been demonstrated to improve heart function in various types of cardiomyopathy via its receptor GHS-R. This experiment aims to test the effect of hexarelin on cardiomyocytes under experimental diabetes. Streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg)-induced diabetic rat model was employed with vehicle injection group as control. Daily hexarelin (100 μg/kg) treatment was performed for 2 weeks after 4-week STZ-induced diabetes. Cardiomyocytes were isolated by enzyme treatment under O2 -saturated perfusion for single-cell shortening, [Ca2+ ]i transient, and electrophysiology recordings. GHS-R expression and apoptosis-related signaling proteins Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and 9, were assessed by western blot. Experimental data demonstrated a reduced cell contraction and relaxation in parallel with depressed rise and fall of [Ca2+ ]i transients in diabetic cardiomyocytes. Hexarelin reversed the changes in both contraction and [Ca2+ ]i . Action potential duration and transient outward potassium current (Ito ) density were dramatically increased in diabetic cardiomyocytes and hexarelin treatment reverse such changes. Upregulated GHS receptor (GHS-R) expression was observed in both control and diabetic groups after hexarelin treatment, which also caused antiapoptotic changes of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and 9 expression. In STZ-induced diabetic rats, hexarelin is able to improve cardiomyocyte function through recovery of Ito K+ currents, intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and antiapoptotic signaling pathways.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study7

7 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

  1. 01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In diabetic rats, hexarelin reversed the reduced cardiomyocyte contraction.

    In plain wordsIn diabetic rats, hexarelin restored the weakened contraction of heart muscle cells.

    Peptide
    Hexarelin
    Outcome
    IncreaseCardiomyocyte contraction
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    STZ-induced diabetic rat
    Comparator
    Vehicle injection
    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    100 μg/kg · 2 weeksAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Experimental data demonstrated a reduced cell contraction and relaxation in parallel with depressed rise and fall of [Ca2+ ]i transients in diabetic cardiomyocytes. Hexarelin reversed the changes in both contraction and [Ca2+ ]i .
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg)-induced diabetic rat model was employed with vehicle injection group as control.
    Summary · context
    Daily hexarelin (100 μg/kg) treatment was performed for 2 weeks after 4-week STZ-induced diabetes.
  2. 02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In diabetic rats, hexarelin reversed the reduced cardiomyocyte relaxation.

    In plain wordsIn diabetic rats, hexarelin restored the weakened relaxation of heart muscle cells.

    Peptide
    Hexarelin
    Outcome
    IncreaseCardiomyocyte relaxation
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    STZ-induced diabetic rat
    Comparator
    Vehicle injection
    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    100 μg/kg · 2 weeksAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Experimental data demonstrated a reduced cell contraction and relaxation in parallel with depressed rise and fall of [Ca2+ ]i transients in diabetic cardiomyocytes. Hexarelin reversed the changes in both contraction and [Ca2+ ]i .
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg)-induced diabetic rat model was employed with vehicle injection group as control.
    Summary · context
    Daily hexarelin (100 μg/kg) treatment was performed for 2 weeks after 4-week STZ-induced diabetes.
  3. 03AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In diabetic rats, hexarelin reversed the depressed rise and fall of intracellular Ca2+ transients in cardiomyocytes.

    In plain wordsIn diabetic rats, hexarelin restored depressed calcium signals in heart muscle cells.

    Peptide
    Hexarelin
    Outcome
    IncreaseIntracellular Ca2+ transients
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    STZ-induced diabetic rat
    Comparator
    Vehicle injection
    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    100 μg/kg · 2 weeksAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Experimental data demonstrated a reduced cell contraction and relaxation in parallel with depressed rise and fall of [Ca2+ ]i transients in diabetic cardiomyocytes. Hexarelin reversed the changes in both contraction and [Ca2+ ]i .
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg)-induced diabetic rat model was employed with vehicle injection group as control.
    Summary · context
    Daily hexarelin (100 μg/kg) treatment was performed for 2 weeks after 4-week STZ-induced diabetes.
  4. 04AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In diabetic rats, hexarelin reversed the increased action potential duration in cardiomyocytes.

    In plain wordsIn diabetic rats, hexarelin reversed the lengthened electrical signal in heart muscle cells.

    Peptide
    Hexarelin
    Outcome
    DecreaseAction potential duration
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    STZ-induced diabetic rat
    Comparator
    Vehicle injection
    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    100 μg/kg · 2 weeksAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Action potential duration and transient outward potassium current (Ito ) density were dramatically increased in diabetic cardiomyocytes and hexarelin treatment reverse such changes.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg)-induced diabetic rat model was employed with vehicle injection group as control.
    Summary · context
    Daily hexarelin (100 μg/kg) treatment was performed for 2 weeks after 4-week STZ-induced diabetes.
  5. 05AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In diabetic rats, hexarelin reversed the increased Ito density in cardiomyocytes.

    In plain wordsIn diabetic rats, hexarelin reversed the raised potassium current in heart muscle cells.

    Peptide
    Hexarelin
    Outcome
    DecreaseTransient outward potassium current (Ito) density
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    STZ-induced diabetic rat
    Comparator
    Vehicle injection
    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    100 μg/kg · 2 weeksAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Action potential duration and transient outward potassium current (Ito ) density were dramatically increased in diabetic cardiomyocytes and hexarelin treatment reverse such changes.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg)-induced diabetic rat model was employed with vehicle injection group as control.
    Summary · context
    Daily hexarelin (100 μg/kg) treatment was performed for 2 weeks after 4-week STZ-induced diabetes.
  6. 06AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In control and diabetic rats, hexarelin treatment upregulated GHS-R expression.

    In plain wordsIn rats, hexarelin raised levels of its own receptor, GHS-R, in both control and diabetic groups.

    Peptide
    Hexarelin
    Outcome
    IncreaseGHS-R expression
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    STZ-induced diabetic rat
    Comparator
    Vehicle injection
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    100 μg/kg · 2 weeksAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Upregulated GHS receptor (GHS-R) expression was observed in both control and diabetic groups after hexarelin treatment
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg)-induced diabetic rat model was employed with vehicle injection group as control.
    Summary · context
    Daily hexarelin (100 μg/kg) treatment was performed for 2 weeks after 4-week STZ-induced diabetes.
  7. 07AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In rats, hexarelin treatment caused antiapoptotic changes in Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and caspase-9 expression.

    In plain wordsIn rats, hexarelin shifted cell-death proteins in the heart muscle towards survival.

    Peptide
    Hexarelin
    Outcome
    MixedApoptosis-related proteins Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and caspase-9
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    STZ-induced diabetic rat
    Comparator
    Vehicle injection
    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    100 μg/kg · 2 weeksAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    which also caused antiapoptotic changes of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and 9 expression.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg)-induced diabetic rat model was employed with vehicle injection group as control.
    Summary · context
    Daily hexarelin (100 μg/kg) treatment was performed for 2 weeks after 4-week STZ-induced diabetes.

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.

  1. Version 2Current

    13 Oct 2026, 21:44 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    13 Oct 2026, 16:31 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

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