Skip to content

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

5 results

Enhanced Pulsatile Growth Hormone Secretion and Altered Metabolic Hormones by in Vivo Hexarelin Treatment in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats.

Zhang X, Yang JK, Chen C

International journal of molecular sciences8 Oct 2018Cited by 4 (Europe PMC)

PMID30297647 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC6213236 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.3390/ijms19103067 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-30297647
Download PDFPubMedAsk about this study
Jump to 5 results

Summary

Significant growth hormone (GH) reductions have been reported in diabetic animal models with disturbed metabolic balance coinciding with GH deficiency. Therefore, enhanced GH secretion may have beneficial effects in controlling diabetes. Thus, we aim to investigate the effect of hexarelin, a synthetic GH secretagogue (GHS), on GH secretion in streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg)-induced diabetic rats. Daily hexarelin (100 μg/kg) treatment was performed for two weeks in four-week-long STZ-diabetic and vehicle control rats. Pulsatile GH secretion in STZ-rats was significantly reduced in total, pulsatile, basal, and mass of GH secretion per burst. In addition, impaired GH secretion was followed by an increase in fasting-level free fatty acids (FFAs) and a decrease in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) compared to control rats. After hexarelin treatment, pulsatile GH secretion in STZ-rats was significantly increased in total, pulsatile, and basal, but not in the mass GH secretion per burst, compared to STZ-rats without hexarelin treatment. However, there was no significant elevation in GH secretion in the hexarelin-treated control group. In addition, hexarelin-treated STZ-rats showed a significant decrease in fasting level FFAs, whereas suppression of fasting level for IGF-1 was maintained. These results suggest that STZ-induced diabetic rats have impaired pulsatile GH secretion, causing increased FFAs and decreased IGF-1 levels in circulation. Hexarelin injections for two weeks is able to normalize impaired pulsatile GH secretion with normal fasting levels of FFAs, but fails to recover IGF-1 levels.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study5

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

  1. 01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, hexarelin increased total, pulsatile and basal GH secretion compared with untreated diabetic rats.

    In plain wordsIn diabetic rats, hexarelin raised growth hormone release compared with diabetic rats that did not get hexarelin.

    Peptide
    Hexarelin
    Outcome
    IncreaseTotal pulsatile GH secretion
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats
    Comparator
    STZ-rats without hexarelin
    Outcome group
    Growth hormone and IGF-1 · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    100 μg/kg · 2 weeksAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    pulsatile GH secretion in STZ-rats was significantly increased in total, pulsatile, and basal, but not in the mass GH secretion per burst, compared to STZ-rats without hexarelin treatment.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Daily hexarelin (100 μg/kg) treatment was performed for two weeks in four-week-long STZ-diabetic and vehicle control rats.
  2. 02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, hexarelin did not significantly change the mass of GH secreted per burst compared with untreated diabetic rats.

    In plain wordsIn diabetic rats, hexarelin did not change the amount of growth hormone per burst compared with untreated diabetic rats.

    Peptide
    Hexarelin
    Outcome
    No significant changeMass of GH secretion per burst
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats
    Comparator
    STZ-rats without hexarelin
    Outcome group
    Growth hormone and IGF-1 · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    100 μg/kg · 2 weeksAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    After hexarelin treatment, pulsatile GH secretion in STZ-rats was significantly increased in total, pulsatile, and basal, but not in the mass GH secretion per burst, compared to STZ-rats without hexarelin treatment.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Daily hexarelin (100 μg/kg) treatment was performed for two weeks in four-week-long STZ-diabetic and vehicle control rats.
  3. 03AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In non-diabetic control rats, hexarelin did not significantly raise GH secretion.

    In plain wordsIn control rats without diabetes, hexarelin did not clearly raise growth hormone release.

    Peptide
    Hexarelin
    Outcome
    No significant changeGH secretion in control rats
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Vehicle-treated non-diabetic control rats
    Comparator
    Vehicle control rats without hexarelin
    Outcome group
    Growth hormone and IGF-1 · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    100 μg/kg · 2 weeksAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    However, there was no significant elevation in GH secretion in the hexarelin-treated control group.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Daily hexarelin (100 μg/kg) treatment was performed for two weeks in four-week-long STZ-diabetic and vehicle control rats.
  4. 04AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, hexarelin decreased fasting free fatty acid levels.

    In plain wordsIn diabetic rats, hexarelin lowered fasting levels of free fatty acids in the blood.

    Peptide
    Hexarelin
    Outcome
    DecreaseFasting free fatty acids
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats
    Comparator
    STZ-rats without hexarelin
    Outcome group
    Lipids · Metabolic and weight
    Studied dose
    100 μg/kg · 2 weeksAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    hexarelin-treated STZ-rats showed a significant decrease in fasting level FFAs, whereas suppression of fasting level for IGF-1 was maintained.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Daily hexarelin (100 μg/kg) treatment was performed for two weeks in four-week-long STZ-diabetic and vehicle control rats.
  5. 05AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, hexarelin did not recover the suppressed fasting IGF-1 level.

    In plain wordsIn diabetic rats, hexarelin did not bring back the low IGF-1 level.

    Peptide
    Hexarelin
    Outcome
    No significant changeFasting IGF-1
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats
    Comparator
    STZ-rats without hexarelin
    Outcome group
    Growth hormone and IGF-1 · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    100 μg/kg · 2 weeksAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In addition, hexarelin-treated STZ-rats showed a significant decrease in fasting level FFAs, whereas suppression of fasting level for IGF-1 was maintained.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Daily hexarelin (100 μg/kg) treatment was performed for two weeks in four-week-long STZ-diabetic and vehicle control rats.

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

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

PepBank is a research reference. Talk to a doctor before you use any peptide.