Peptide Hormones

Buserelin belongs to the group of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (gonadorelin) analogues (LHRH agonist). It acts on the pituitary gland which controls the amount of many different types of hormones (chemical messengers). It alters the amount of hormones, particularly the oestrogens androgens. This alteration of hormone levels can be exploited to treat cancers of the prostate gland, which are stimulated to grow by testosterone. Buserelin lowers the levels of testosterone, which starves the tumour of testosterone and causes it to shrink.

Arginine vasopressin (AVP), also known as argipressin or antidiuretic hormone (ADH), is a human hormonethat is released when the body is low on water; it causes the kidneysto conserve water, but not salt, by concentrating the urineand reducing urine volume. It also raises blood pressure by inducing moderate vasoconstriction. It has various effects in the brain.
A very similar substance, lysine vasopressin (LVP) or lypressin, has the same function in pigsand is often used in human therapy.
Vasopressin is a peptide hormone. It is derived from a preprohormoneprecursor that is synthesized in the hypothalamus, from which it is liberated during transport to the posterior pituitary. Most of it is stored in the posterior partof the pituitary glandto be released into the blood stream; some of it is also released directly into the brain.
AVP allows water reabsorption by the introduction of additional water channels in cortical and inner medullary collecting ducts.

Goserelin is a hormone similar to the one normally released from the hypothalamus gland in the brain (GnRH super-agonist). It is used to treat for prostate and breast cancer.
Goserelin decreases the amount of estrogen and testosterone by this treating endometriosis and cancer of the breast, and can help thin the uterus lining before surgery. Goserelin prevents the growth of tissue associated with endometriosis.
Reducing the amount of testosterone is one way of treating prostate cancer.

Liraglutide is a long-acting GLP1 analogue sharing 97% a.a. homology to human GLP1. Liraglutide differs from GLP1 by the substitution of arginine for lysine at position 34. While GLP1 is degraded swiftly by DPP4 resulting in short life of insulin, Liraglutide contains a fatty acid that binds to albumin and prolongs the half-life of the structure. liraglutide causes insulin to secret in the presence of increasing glucose levels. Due toits receptor site, liraglutide inhibits glucagon secretion and delays gastric emptying.

Leuprorelin (INN) or leuprolide acetate (USAN) is a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH agonist).
By causing constant stimulation of the pituitaryGnRH receptors, it initially causes stimulation (flare), but thereafter decreases pituitary secretion (downregulation) of gonadotropins luteinizing hormone(LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH).
Like other GnRH agonists, leuprolide may be used in the treatment of hormone-responsive cancers such as prostate canceror breast cancer, estrogen-dependent conditions (such as endometriosisor uterine fibroids), to treat precocious puberty, and to control ovarian stimulation in IVF.

Obestatin is a hormone that is produced in the cells lining the stomach and small intestine of several mammals including humans; it drastically reduces appetite in mice and is expected to do the same in humans. Obestatin is a peptide hormone - a relatively small protein. It is encoded by the same gene that also encodes ghrelin, a peptide hormone that increases appetite. The protein produced by that gene breaks into two smaller peptides, ghrelin and obestatin. Ghrelin is an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor and is involved in regulating growth hormone release. Ghrelin is derived from a preprohormone called preproghrelin, which also generates a second peptide called obestatin. Ghrelin is an endogenous ligand for the orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR39 and is involved in satiety and decreased food intake.

Pramlintide acetate is a hormone that is released into the bloodstream, in a similar pattern as insulin. Pramlintide aids in the absorption of glucose by slowing gastric emptying, promoting satiety, and inhibiting inappropriate secretion of glucagon, a catabolic hormone that opposes the effects of insulin.

Lanreotide is a peptide inhibitor of a number of endocrine, neuroendocrine, exocrine and paracrine functions. It shows good affinity for peripheral somatostatin receptors (anterior pituitary and pancreatic). In contrast, its affinity for central receptors is much lower. This profile confers a good specificity of action at the level of growth hormone and digestive hormone secretion. Lanreotide shows a much longer duration of action than natural somatostatin. In addition, its marked selectivity for the secretion of growth hormone, compared to that of insulin, makes it a suitable candidate for the treatment of acromegaly. By inhibiting the synthesis of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), lanreotide also normalised thyroid function of patients with thyrotrophin secreting adenomas in 50% (8/16) of the per-protocol population treated for 6 months. There was no significant reduction in the size of the adenoma. Furthermore, the inhibitory action of lanreotide on intestinal exocrine secretion, d

Thymopentin, also known as TP-5, is a synthetic pentapeptide which is the active site of the naturally occurring hormone thymopoietin with immunomodulating properties (corresponding to the amino acids 32-36 of thymopoietin). Thymopentin enhances the production of thymic T cells and may help restore immunocompetence in immunosuppressed subjects. This agent also augments the effects of ionizing radiation by arresting cancer cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle.

PMSG Hormone is a well know used hormone together with progestogen to increase ovulation just before to artificial insemination. PMSG hormone is a placental glycoprotein produced from the serum of pregnant mares. PMSG comprises of an alfa subunit and a beta subunit. PMSG hormone is secreted from endometrial cups within the pregnant mare uterus aging from 40 to 130 days into their maturation, and once extracted, it can been used to promote artificially estrus in female animals. These assemblies produce PMSG hormone to induce mare's ovarian and repsouctive structures. PMSG can induce the growth of follicles by ovaries and results in ovulatation. PMSG hormone has an about a 4 day half-life of bioactivity in species other than horses. The extended biological activity can cause ovarian stimulation and ovulation. However, PMSG use alone often causes cystic ovarian disease because of the unrestrained ovarian stimulation and due to the sugar molecules which decrease clearance of the hormone. PMSG is more likely to be used than other pituitary hormones due to the extended circulatory half-life. PMSG solely exhibits luteinizing hormone like activity, however in other animal classes it has FSH & LH like activity.

Terlipressin is similar to a naturally occurring hormone present in the body, known as antidiuretic hormone (ADH) or vasopressin. ADH has two main effects in the body. Firstly, it causes narrowing of blood vessels (vasoconstriction), thereby limiting blood flow to a particular area of the body. It also acts on receptors in the kidney to retain water in the body, which helps to prevent excessive loss of water in the urine. Terlipressin is commonly used to stop bleeding of varices in the food pipe (oesophagus). Varices are fragile distended veins that can occur in various parts of the body such as the oesophagus. This is caused by an increase in blood pressure in certain diseases such as severe liver disease. These fragile varices can rupture and lead to life threatening bleeding. Terlipressin is therefore given to narrow blood vessels, and so restricting blood flow to the varices and stopping the bleeding.

Somatostatin (also known as growth hormone inhibiting hormone (GHIH) or somatotropin release-inhibiting hormone (SRIF) is a peptide hormone that regulates the endocrine systemand affects neurotransmission and cell proliferation via interaction with G-protein-coupled somatostatin receptors and inhibition of the release of numerous secondary hormones. Somatostatin has two active forms produced by alternative cleavage of a single preproprotein: one of 14 amino acids, the other of 28 amino acids.

Octreotide acetate is a longer acting synthetic octapeptide analog of naturally occurring somatostatin. It inhibits the secretion of gastro-entero-pancreatic peptide hormones and the release of growth hormone.

Elcatonin is a Calcitonin derivative which is transformed from eel´s calcitonin by changing the S-S bond into the stable C-N bond. It inhibits the absorption and autolysis of bones, thus leads to blood calcium descending. In addition, it inhibits the bone salts dissolving and transferring and promotes the excretion of calcium and phosphorus in urine. Meanwhile, it inhibits renal tubules reabsorbing calcium, phosphorus and sodium and keeps blood calcium at normal level. It is mainly used for remitting or eliminating the pain caused by Osteoporosis.

Atosiban is the first oxytocin antagonist to be specifically developed for the treatment of preterm labor. Atosiban has a specific mode of action, inhibiting oxytocin-induced uterine contractions by blocking oxytocin receptors in the uterus. Extensive clinical investigations have shown Atosiban to be at least as effective as current tocolytic agents. In addition, due to its novel and specific mode of action, Atosiban has a markedly improved maternal side effects profile compared with conventional therapies.

Sincalide corresponds to the C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin (CCK) which acts on receptors within the gallbladder wall causing it to contract.
Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a hormone originally isolated from porcine intestinal mucosa and described as a linear 33-amino acid peptide containing a sulfated tyrosine, which is essential for its biological activity. It has been found in mammals in both the digestive tract and the central nervous system. Among its multiple biological functions, this hormone stimulates pancreatic exocrine secretion, gallbladder contraction, and intestine motility and may also act as a neurotransmitter/neuromodulator in the central nervous system.

Deslorelin is being studied in the treatment of cancer as a way to block sex hormones made by the ovaries or testicles. It belongs to the family of drugs called gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs. It is used for the induction of ovulation in mares. Deslorelin binds to and activates pituitary gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) receptors. Continuous, prolonged administration of goserelin in males results in pituitary GnRH receptor desensitization and inhibition of pituitary secretion of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), leading to a significant decline in testosterone production; in females, prolonged administration results in a decrease in estradiol production.

Nafarelin acetate is a synthetic analog of the naturally occurring gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Nafarelin stimulates the release of the pituitary gonadotropins, LH and FSH, resulting in a temporary increase of ovarian steroidogenesis.

Human Secretin stimulates the secretion of bicarbonate by the pancreas and inhibits the production of gastrin and acid production in the stomach. It also potentiates the release of digestive enzymes from the pancreas triggered by cholecystokinin.

Desmopressin is the first vasopressin analog with a very high and very specific antidiuretic effect, has been widely used for different therapeutic purposes and is believed to be partly responsible for the formation of memories learning and memory processes. Desmopressin increases urine concentration and decreases urine production. Desmopressin is used to prevent and control excessive thirst, urination, and dehydration.

Alarelin (Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone) is a synthetic LH-RH agonist that is found in higher amounts than that of LH-RH in rat hypophyseal stimulation of gonadotropin secretion in vivo and in vitro and in ovulation inductions. Alarelin is known for its induction of ovulation. Alarelin acetate is the acetate form of a hypothalamic peptide that stimulates the release of FSH and LH from the pituitary gland.

Histrelin is a hormone similar to one normally released from the hypothalamus gland in the brain. Histrelin works by decreasing the amount of estrogen and testosterone in the blood. Suppressing estrogen can cause thinning of the bones or slowing of their growth. Histrelin acetate is a potent LHRH agonist which stimulates LH and FSH release and inhibits the actions of sex steroids on the male and female reproductive tracts. After a transient increase, continuous administration results in down regulation of LH and FSH levels followed by a suppression of ovarian and testicular steroid biosynthesis. Histrelin potency in vivo and in vitro is similar to that of the D-Trp6-containing analog. Especially because of its high water solubility and greater lipophilic character, it appears promising for clinical application.

Hexarelin stimulates GH secretion. Hexarelin is more resistant to proteolytic degradation than GHRP-6.

Adrenocorticotropic hormone, as its name implies, stimulates the adrenal cortex. More specifically, it stimulates secretion of glucocorticoids such as cortisol, and has little control over secretion of aldosterone, the other major steroid hormone from the adrenal cortex. Stimulates secretion of adrenal corticosteroids and induces growth of adrenal cortex. ACTH also called Tetracosactide directly activates G-proteins. A stimulator of adenylate cyclase and cAMP formation.