Title: Somatoliberin
CAS Registry Number: 83930-13-6
CAS Name: Growth hormone-releasing factor
Synonyms: GH-RF; GH-RH; GRF; growth hormone-releasing hormone; hGRF; hpGRF; somatocrinin
Literature References: Stimulatory growth-hormone releasing factor of the hypothalamus that mediates, together with somatostatin,
q.v., the neuroregulation of somatotropin secretion. The concept of hypothalamic regulation of growth hormone release was postulated on the basis of physiological and biochemical evidence,
cf. A. V. Schally
et al., Recent Prog. Horm. Res. 24, 497 (1968); J. B. Martin in
Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, L. Martini, W. F. Ganong, Eds. (Raven Press, New York, 1976) pp 129-168. Demonstration of the existence of a GH-RH: R. Deuben, J. Meites,
Endocrinology 74, 408 (1964); A. V. Schally
et al., ibid. 82, 271 (1968); E. Dickermann
et al., Neuroendocrinology 4, 75 (1969). Isoln of a decapeptide originally believed to be GRF: A. V. Schally
et al., Endocrinology 84, 1493 (1969). Review of early literature:
eidem, Science 179, 341 (1973). Isoln and characterization of hpGRF, a fully bioactive, 44 amino acid peptide from human pancreatic tumor: R. Guillemin
et al., Science 218, 585 (1982); J. Rivier
et al., Nature 300, 276 (1982). Cloning and sequence analysis of cDNA for hpGRF precursor: U. Gubler
et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80, 4311 (1983). Expression-cloning of cDNA for hpGRF: K. E. Mayo
et al., Nature 306, 86 (1983). Isoln, primary structure and synthesis of native human hypothalamic GRF (hGRF), identity with hpGRF and comparison with GRF from other species: N. Ling
et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81, 4302 (1984). Immunohistochemical detection of GRF in brain: B. Bloch
et al., ibid. 301, 607 (1983). Potent interaction of glucocorticoids with GRF
in vivo: W. B. Wehrenberg
et al., Science 221, 556 (1983). Series of articles on clinical pharmacology:
Horm. Res. 22, 32-57 (1985). Clinical evaluation in treatment of hypopituitary dwarfism: M. O. Thorner
et al., N. Engl. J. Med. 312, 4 (1985).
Reviews: R. Guillemin
et al., Recent Prog. Horm. Res. 40, 233-299 (1984); W. B. Wehrenberg
et al., Annu. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol. 25, 463-483 (1985).
Properties: Porcine GRF is destroyed by trypsin, chymotrypsin, pepsin. Biological activity remains after incubation at pH 8.5 for 4 hours at 37°, but is destroyed after similar incubation at pH 2.