Growth hormone releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) prevents doxorubicin-induced myocardial and extra-myocardial damages by activating prosurvival mechanisms.

Experimental animal study investigating the cardioprotective effects of GHRP-6 in a doxorubicin-induced dilated cardiomyopathy model.

“Here we examined whether GHRP-6 administration concomitant to Dox prevented the onset of DCM/HF and multiple organs damages in otherwise healthy rats.”

Male Wistar rats aged 9–10 weeks with a body weight of 200–250 g.

“Male Wistar rats with 200–250 g body weight and 9–10 weeks of age were used for the study.”

36 rats distributed into three groups of 12 animals each.

“A total of 36 animals were used, distributed in three experimental groups with 12 rats each”

GHRP-6 attenuated oxidative stress, preserved mitochondrial integrity, and upregulated the pro-survival gene Bcl-2.

“Mechanistically, GHRP-6 proved to sustain cellular antioxidant defense, upregulate prosurvival gene Bcl-2, and preserve cardiomyocyte mitochondrial integrity.”

The study did not measure cardiovascular/pulmonary hemodynamic constants, gasometry readings, or intestinal wall barrier function integrity.

“Although this work is limited for not having acquired cardiovascular/pulmonary hemodynamic constants, gasometry readings, or examined the integrity of the intestinal wall barrier function, for a more comprehensive evaluation of GHRP-6 cytoprotective spectrum; it provides the first evidences on the cardiac and extracardiac protective effect of a peptidyl GH secretagogue against an anti-neoplastic anthracycline.”