The topic of this article will focus on the GHRP-2 peptide and the research conducted on it over the years. If you are interested in learning more, keep reading.
GHRP-2 and the Structure of Muscles
Studies conducted on Yaks suggest GHRP-2 may stimulate muscle development in two ways: it may increase the amount of protein deposited and reduce the amount of protein broken down. The study’s findings speculate GHRP-2 may be capable of overcoming natural development plateaus brought on in yaks by factors such as food scarcity, sickness, and impacting environmental circumstances [i]. The most important discovery of this research was that GHRP-2 was speculated to slow down the process of muscle atrophy by inhibiting atrogin-1 and MuRF1, which are proteins that govern the pathway that leads to muscle deterioration [ii].
Studies suggest stimulating growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 that GHRP-2 provides may contribute to increased muscle protein deposited. Researchers speculate GHRP-2 may promote lean body mass formation despite unfavorable circumstances due to its combined properties of lowering the degradation rate and increasing the deposition rate [iii].
GHRP-2 and Appetite
It has been suggested that GHRP-2 may increase food intake [iv], [v]. Appetite stimulation has been an area of particular significance to researchers in observing the behavior and impact of GHRP-2 on test models.
GHRP-2 and the Heart
Research conducted using cell culture lines derived from embryonic hearts suggests that GHRP-2 and its counterparts, GHRP-1 and GHRP-6, may aid in protecting heart cells by lowering the apoptosis rate, also known as programmed cell death [vi]. This is of utmost significance in the aftermath of cardial disfunction when cardiac cells are more susceptible to apoptosis due to reduced blood flow and nutrition delivery. [vii] Research that used an analog of GHRP-2 called Hexarelin suggested that there may be a particular receptor for these peptides.
GHRP-2 and the Immune System
It has been suggested that GHRP-2 may activate the thymus, an important organ for safeguarding particular immune system cells. In particular, the thymus facilitates the maturation of T lymphocytes. T cells are essential to developing adaptive immunity. The function of the thymus decreases with age, which causes a multitude of age-related dysfunctions. These dysfunctions range from insufficient tissue repair to decreased immunity, which results in an inability to fight off infections, protect against cancer, and maintain normal tissue function. It has been suggested that GHRP-2 may revitalize the thymus, increasing the quantity and variety of T-cells it generates [viii]. This process may result in a strengthened immune system.
GHRP-2 and Sleep
It has been suggested that GHRP-2 may increase the amount of time spent in stages 3 and 4 of the sleep cycle by roughly 50% each while also increasing the amount of time spent in REM sleep by around 20% and decreasing the amount that a subject strays from “regular sleep” by as much as a third. Studies suggest the enhancement in sleep quality may lead to improvements in cognitive function, blood pressure, the rate of healing, and energy levels [ix]. Researchers hypothesize GHRP-2 may be valuable in knowing how to fine-tune sleep to increase its quality and may even enable laboratory test models gain the advantages of deep sleep in a fraction of the time. This might be a significant advancement in the field of sleep research.
GHRP-2 and Pain
At first, it was believed that the results of reduced pain in animal models of osteoarthritis were the consequence of GHRP-2 raising growth hormone levels and expediting healing in the injured tissues. This theory was based on observations of decreased pain in animal models of osteoarthritis. However, astute researchers speculated that pain alleviation came before the healing process by a substantial margin; this led them to hypothesize that GHRP-2 may directly affect how test models experience pain. It has been suggested that GHRP-2 may influence opioid receptors via its activity [x].
Four different opioid receptors have been identified. Some receptors are responsible for mediating pain, while others control aspects such as wakefulness and respiration. Research suggests GHRP-2 is a selective opioid receptor agonist which may bind preferentially to the receptors in charge of relieving pain, drowsiness, and addiction. This study suggests that it may be feasible to synthesize selective opioid agonists.
More investigation is required to explore its potential in scientific research. Only academic and scientific institutions can use peptides for sale online. If you are a licensed academic interested in buyingpeptides for your studies, visit Core Peptides. Laboratory research compounds are only for in-vitro and in-lab use.
References
[i] R. Hu et al., “Effects of GHRP-2 and Cysteamine Administration on Growth Performance, Somatotropic Axis Hormone and Muscle Protein Deposition in Yaks (Bos grunniens) with Growth Retardation,” PloS One, vol. 11, no. 2, p. e0149461, 2016. [PLOS ONE]
[ii] D. Yamamoto et al., “GHRP-2, a GHS-R agonist, directly acts on myocytes to attenuate the dexamethasone-induced expressions of muscle-specific ubiquitin ligases, Atrogin-1 and MuRF1,” Life Sci., vol. 82, no. 9–10, pp. 460–466, Feb. 2008. [PubMed]
[iii] L. T. Phung et al., “The effects of growth hormone-releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2) on the release of growth hormone and growth performance in swine,” Domest. Anim. Endocrinol., vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 279–291, Apr. 2000. [PubMed]
[iv] B. Laferrère, C. Abraham, C. D. Russell, and C. Y. Bowers, “Growth hormone releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2), like ghrelin, increases food intake in healthy men,” J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., vol. 90, no. 2, pp. 611–614, Feb. 2005. [PubMed]
[v] B. Laferrère, A. B. Hart, and C. Y. Bowers, “Obese subjects respond to the stimulatory effect of the ghrelin agonist growth hormone-releasing peptide-2 on food intake,” Obes. Silver Spring Md, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 1056–1063, Jun. 2006. [PMC]
[vi] G. Muccioli et al., “Growth hormone-releasing peptides and the cardiovascular system,” Ann. Endocrinol., vol. 61, no. 1, pp. 27–31, Feb. 2000. [PubMed]
[vii] V. Bodart et al., “Identification and characterization of a new growth hormone-releasing peptide receptor in the heart,” Circ. Res., vol. 85, no. 9, pp. 796–802, Oct. 1999. [AHA Journals]
[viii] D. D. Taub, W. J. Murphy, and D. L. Longo, “Rejuvenation of the aging thymus: growth hormone-mediated and ghrelin-mediated signaling pathways,” Curr. Opin. Pharmacol., vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 408–424, Aug. 2010. [PubMed]
[ix] G. Copinschi et al., “Prolonged oral treatment with MK-677, a novel growth hormone secretagogue, improves sleep quality in man,” Neuroendocrinology, vol. 66, no. 4, pp. 278–286, Oct. 1997. [PubMed]
[x] P. Zeng et al., “Ghrelin receptor agonist, GHRP-2, produces antinociceptive effects at the supraspinal level via the opioid receptor in mice,” Peptides, vol. 55, pp. 103–109, May 2014. [PubMed]
