Ghrelin growth hormone secretagogue receptor, with the "GHS-R1b" splice being inactive) is involved in mediating a wide variety of biological effects of ghrelin, including: stimulation of growth hormone release, increase in hunger, modulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, regulation of gastrointestinal motility and secretion, protection of neuronal and cardiovascular cells, and regulation of immune function. They are present in high density in the hypothalamus and pituitary, on the vagus nerve (on both afferent cell bodies and afferent nerve endings) and throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Ghrelin promotes intestinal cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis during inflammatory states and oxidative stress. It also suppresses
Growth hormone secretagogue of growth hormone deficiency. They also see black market use, similarly to anabolic steroids, for bodybuilding purposes. Growth hormone secretagogue Growth hormone secretagogues (GSHs) are a class of drugs which act as secretagogues (i.e., induce the secretion) of growth hormone (GH). They include agonists of the ghrelin/growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), such as ghrelin (lenomorelin), pralmorelin (GHRP-2), GHRP-6, examorelin (hexarelin), ipamorelin, and ibutamoren (MK-677), and agonists of the growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRHR), such as growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) (somatorelin), CJC-1295, sermorelin, and tesamorelin. Many also induce the secretion of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), as well as of other