Hexarelin

Summary

Hexarelin is a synthetic growth-hormone-releasing peptide that binds and activates the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) in the brain, similar to its natural analog ghrelin, but is described as chemically more stable and functionally more potent ^[2]. Beyond growth hormone release, the peripheral distribution of GHSR in the heart and blood vessels, together with the cardiac receptor CD36, points to direct cardiovascular and cardioprotective actions ^[2]. Preclinical work reports that hexarelin attenuated angiotensin II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy via autophagy regulation ^[4], reduced abdominal aortic aneurysm formation by inhibiting smooth-muscle phenotype switching and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in mice ^[3], and limited apoptosis in ischemic acute kidney injury through the MDM2/p53 pathway ^[1]. Importantly, the available evidence is entirely preclinical (rodent and cell-culture models) and mechanistic; the provided literature contains no interventional human trials of administering hexarelin therapeutically, so any benefit in people remains unproven.

Sources

1. 1. Hexarelin alleviates apoptosis on ischemic acute kidney injury via MDM2/p53 pathway European journal of medical research, 2023.
2. 2. The cardiovascular action of hexarelin Journal of geriatric cardiology : JGC, 2014.
3. 3. Hexarelin attenuates abdominal aortic aneurysm formation by inhibiting SMC phenotype switch and inflammasome activation Microvascular research, 2022.
4. 4. Hexarelin protects cardiac H9C2 cells from angiotensin II-induced hypertrophy via the regulation of autophagy Die Pharmazie, 2019.

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