A family of xenobiotics that stimulate the secretion of growth hormone, and a new physiological system for its regulation

Abstract

The history of discovery of low-molecular xenobiotics of peptide and поп-peptide origin selectively stimulating growth hormone (GH) secretion is presented and the properties of this family are described. Results of study of these synthetic GH secretogogues, their physiological effects and mechanisms of in vitro and in vivo action, relationships with GH releasing hormone (GH- RH) and somatostatin (SS), classical natural regulators of GH secretion, underlie the discovery of a heretofore unknown physiological system regulating normal pulsatile secretion of GH in interactions with GH-RH and SS and their receptors. This system includes a unique G-protein coupled receptor which was detected in the pituitary, hypothalamus, and hippocampus and was recently cloned, and endogenous ligand of this receptor, apparently a structural and functional analog of the above xenobiotics.