Effects of [norleucine27]growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) (1-29)-NH2 administration on the immune system of aging men and women

Plain-language guide to PMID 9360512 (1997): placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial study of Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) and GHRH (Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone) in 10 women, immune system (general).

Key Facts

PMID: 9360512
Journal: The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism
Year: 1997
Study type: Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Khorram O et al. (4 authors)
DOI: 10.1210/jcem.82.11.4363

What This Study Did, in Plain Language

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) and GHRH (Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone) in the context of immune system (general) in this randomized controlled trial publication.

Because lymphocytes express GH-IGF-I, as well as GHRH and their respective receptors, restoration of this axis in age-advanced individuals, by the administration of GHRH, may enhance immune cell function.

Fasting (0800 h-0900 h) blood samples were obtained for immune studies and for measurements of serum concentrations of IGF-I and soluble interleukin (IL)-2 receptor.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 10 women taking part.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were middle-aged adults and older adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized and placebo-controlled study.

The women were allocated by chance, so the Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) group and the comparison group should start out alike.

A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) group a baseline to be compared against.

Mitogen stimulation responses, natural killer cell number and cytotoxicity, basal and stimulated IL-2 secretion from cultured lymphocytes, and IL-2 and IL-2R messenger RNA expression were measured.

What Was Measured

Fasting (0800 h-0900 h) blood samples were obtained for immune studies and for measurements of serum concentrations of IGF-I and soluble interleukin (IL)-2 receptor.

PubMed files the paper under topics including Aging, B-Lymphocytes, Flow Cytometry, Human Growth Hormone, Immunity, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I and Interleukin-2.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and placebo-controlled study of Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) and GHRH (Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone) in 10 women in people with immune system (general).

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 1997 (The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) compound page and the GHRH (Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone) compound page, Immune system (general) research.

Our Notes on the Compounds

Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over): Constant levels suppress the body's own GHRH, raise somatostatin and dull pituitary response.

GHRH (Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone): The 44-amino-acid hypothalamic hormone that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone; sermorelin and tesamorelin are analogs.

Sermorelin: The first 29 amino acids of growth hormone-releasing hormone; once FDA-approved (Geref) and now mainly compounded.

Source: PubMed record. This explanation is written by PeptideWhiz from the public record. For research and education only. Not medical advice; no dosing information is given.