GHRP-6 Acetate

GHRP-6 is a synthetic amidated hexapeptide with D-tryptophan and D-phenylalanine, distinct from the GHRH peptide family.

Identity

Sequence

H-H[D-Trp]AW[D-Phe]K-NH2

Residues

6

Molecular formula

C₄₆H₅₆N₁₂O₆

Average molecular weight

873 g/mol

Monoisotopic mass (calculated)

872.4446 Da

CAS number

87616-84-0

PubChem CID

9919153

Strengths

5–10 mg

Other names

Growth hormone releasing hexapeptide · Hexapeptide-2

The selected PubChem record specifies D-Trp2 and D-Phe5; a name lookup can also return a record with unspecified stereochemistry. Values describe the free peptide, excluding the catalog’s acetate counterion. No separate UniProt identity was verified; the residue sequence represents the structure without atom coordinates, SMILES or blend components.

Identity data from: PubChem CID 9919153

Research overview

GHRP-6 has the sequence His-D-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH2. It is a synthetic six-residue peptide, with D stereochemistry at the second and fifth positions and an amidated C terminus. Its sequence differs from the hypothalamic GHRH family. An early experiment with dispersed rat pituitary cells used this exact hexapeptide to investigate how its receptor-linked secretory response differed from the response to GHRH. Peptide identity and the cell preparation are both explicit parts of that comparison [1].

In the perifusion experiment, the investigators observed different response patterns when cells were exposed sequentially to GHRP-6 and GHRH. Desensitisation to one signal did not remove the response to the other, supporting distinct receptor-linked messenger systems in that preparation. Somatostatin was also examined as a modulator of the measured secretion. The study thus addressed pathway separation and cellular responsiveness in a rat pituitary model rather than assigning every short secretagogue the same signalling behaviour [1].

A later study compared GHRP-6 with GHRP-2 in primary rat pituitary cells. Reciprocal desensitisation and antagonist experiments supported a shared receptor mechanism for these two structurally different hexapeptides. Read together, the papers separate the short-peptide comparison from the GHRH comparison: a shared response between GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 in one assay does not erase their different residue identities or establish equivalence with GHRH [2].

Laboratory storage and handling

Store sealed peptide vials under the temperature conditions stated in the lot documentation, protected from light and moisture. Let a cold vial reach room temperature before opening to limit condensation. Avoid repeated freezing and thawing of laboratory stocks, record storage history and the lot identifier, and use standard laboratory protective equipment. Chemical modifications and counterions should be checked against the supplied analytical description.

Questions about GHRP-6

References

1. Desensitization studies using perifused rat pituitary cells show that growth hormone-releasing hormone and His-D-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH2 stimulate growth hormone release through distinct receptor sites. J Endocrinol 1991. PMID 1674284
2. Growth hormone releasing peptides: a comparison of the growth hormone releasing activities of GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 in rat primary pituitary cells. Life Sci 1997. PMID 9096259

Identity data checked on 2026-10-03. Literature summaries describe published research models and are not specifications of any product lot.