Karolina Radwańska, Dorota Bartusik-Aebisher and David Aebisher
Medical College of The University of Rzeszów, Rzeszów, Poland

Part of the book: The Biochemical Guide to Hormones

Abstract

GHRH (Growth hormone releasing hormone) is a hormone whose main task is to release growth hormone (GH) and stimulate its synthesis in the anterior pituitary gland. GHRH deficiency or impaired synthesis is the direct cause of GH deficiency. Not only does it play an endocrine role in the body, it also controls the process of apoptosis, proliferation, survival and cell differentiation. The cause of GHRH-related abnormalities may be both its deficiency in the blood, as well as the mutation of the GHRH gene causing the autosomal recessive IGHD disease, which results in disturbances in the growth process visible already in the first year of the child’s life. Studies also show a decrease in the activity of the fibrinolytic system, which can cause blood clots. Thanks to the discovery of the direct influence of GHRH on GH levels, it was possible to implement anti-cancer therapy consisting in blocking the GHRH receptor with its antagonists. This procedure is one of the methods of alternative therapy for pancreatic, stomach or colon cancer.

Keywords: growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH), receptors, apoptosis, proliferation, growth hormone (GH)

References

Barabutis N. A glimpse at growth hormone-releasing hormone cosmos. Clin. Exp.
Pharmacol. Physiol. 2020 Sep;47(9):1632-1634.
Lim CT, Korbonits M. Update on the Clinicopathology of Pituitary Adenomas. Endocr.
Pract. 2018 May;24(5):473-488.
Sanchez Jimenez JG, De Jesus O. Hypothalamic Dysfunction. 2021 Aug 30. In: StatPearls
[Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan- .PMID: 32809578.
Yuen KCJ, Biller BMK, Radovick S, Carmichael JD, Jasim S, Pantalone KM, Hoffman
AR. American association of clinical endocrinologists and American college of
endocrinology guidelines for management of growth hormone deficiency in adults and
patients transitioning from pediatric to adult care. Endocr. Pract. 2019
Nov;25(11):1191-1232.
Zhang C, Cui T, Cai R, Wangpaichitr M, Mirsaeidi M, Schally AV, Jackson RM. Growth
Hormone-Releasing Hormone in Lung Physiology and Pulmonary Disease. Cells.
2020 Oct 21;9(10):2331.