A practical reference on pentapeptide: what it is, how it behaves, what the literature reports, and where the honest uncertainties sit.
Reviewed 2026-07-23. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
The compound was developed at Novo Nordisk during the 1990s as part of a programme seeking secretagogues with improved selectivity. It was described in the peer-reviewed literature in 1998 alongside related pentapeptides from the same series. Investigators advanced it because it raised growth hormone output in animal models while leaving other pituitary hormones comparatively unaffected. The development code NNC 26-0161 appears in earlier reports, and ipamorelin later became the common designation in published work.
Selectivity is the property most often attached to this peptide. Published animal and early human studies record increases in growth hormone release after administration, with adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol responses remaining small by comparison. Effects on appetite-related pathways also appear weaker than those reported for several earlier secretagogues. Reviews that compare members of the growth hormone secretagogue family cite these findings frequently, though the receptor-level explanation for the selectivity continues to be debated rather than settled.
Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide that acts on the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, also known as the ghrelin receptor. Its sequence contains five amino acid residues, including a non-natural residue that increases stability against enzymatic breakdown. The compound was developed in the 1990s as part of research into small peptides that stimulate pituitary hormone release. Unlike larger protein hormones, it can be produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis and characterized by standard analytical methods.
At the receptor level, ipamorelin binds GHS-R1a and triggers signaling through Gq-coupled pathways. Activation leads to calcium release and downstream effects in pituitary somatotroph cells. These events promote the release of growth hormone into circulation. The response depends on the presence of the receptor and on the physiological state of the animal or tissue studied. Because the receptor is also found in other tissues, effects beyond the pituitary have been examined in laboratory models, though the extent of those effects remains an area of ongoing study.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C38H49N9O5 | Pentapeptide with C-terminal amide |
| Average mass | Approximately 711.9 Da | Value derived from the formula |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typically supplied as a lyophilised solid |
| Solubility | Soluble in water and aqueous acetonitrile | Dissolution aided by acidic diluents |
| Common synonyms | Ipamorelin; NNC 26-0161 | Code name used in early reports |
Ipamorelin 是一种合成五肽,序列为 Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2,分子式 C38H49N9O5,游离碱分子量约 711.85 g/mol。它属于生长激素促分泌素(GHS)家族,作用靶点是胃饥饿素受体 GHS-R1a。该化合物由诺和诺德的研究团队在二十世纪九十年代末报道,设计目标是提高对生长激素释放的选择性。C 端酰胺化与 N 端 Aib 残基是两个用于抵抗肽酶降解的结构特征。
在 GHS 家族中,早期肽类如 GHRP-6 与 GHRP-2 会同时促进生长激素、皮质醇与催乳素的释放,并明显增加食欲。Ipamorelin 在动物与早期人体研究中表现出对生长激素释放的相对选择性,对上述其他激素的影响较小。这种差异通常归因于受体结合模式与下游信号偏向的不同,而完整的分子解释仍有待补充。需要区分的是,选择性是研究观察中的相对程度,并非绝对界限。
从用途定位看,ipamorelin 目前主要以研究用肽的身份被讨论,未见主要药品监管机构将其批准为治疗药物。市售材料通常标注仅供研究使用,不得用于人体或诊断程序。文献中它常与生长激素促分泌素、GHS-R1a 激动剂、胃饥饿素拟似物等表述并列出现。既有研究的样本量普遍偏小,因此对其效应强度与一致性的描述应保持谨慎。
Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide that belongs to the growth hormone secretagogue family. Its sequence is Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2, incorporating two non-natural residues that resist enzymatic breakdown. Researchers at Novo Nordisk described the compound in the 1990s while searching for agents that release growth hormone with fewer side effects than earlier secretagogues. The molecule acts as an agonist at the ghrelin receptor, also called GHS-R1a, which is expressed in the pituitary and in several peripheral tissues.
Selectivity distinguishes ipamorelin from first-generation secretagogues such as GHRP-6. At doses that reliably raise growth hormone, it shows little stimulation of adrenocorticotropic hormone or cortisol release in animal models, and it does not markedly raise prolactin or appetite. Binding at GHS-R1a on pituitary somatotrophs triggers calcium influx and pulsatile growth hormone secretion. Because the compound mimics the natural ghrelin signal, the release pattern tends to follow the body's own rhythm rather than producing a sustained elevation.
Human data remain limited and come mainly from small, short-term studies conducted decades ago. The peptide has not received approval as a medicine from major regulators, so current availability is largely as a research chemical. Reported effects on growth hormone pulsatility, appetite, and body composition should be read as preliminary, since few independent groups have replicated the original findings. Analytical characterization of research-grade material varies between suppliers, which complicates comparison across studies. Regulatory status also differs by country, and some jurisdictions classify it as a prescription-only or otherwise restricted item.
Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide that belongs to the growth hormone secretagogue class. It acts as an agonist at the ghrelin receptor, also called the growth hormone secretagogue receptor type 1a. The compound was designed in the 1990s during a search for agents that release growth hormone with fewer off-target hormonal effects than earlier secretagogues. It appears in the research literature under several sequence-based names. Material supplied for laboratory work is normally a lyophilized solid, and it is not marketed as an approved therapeutic in major jurisdictions.
== Further reading == Morris, S., Otto, N. C., Golemboski, K. (2013). Improving patient safety and healthcare quality in the 21st century—Competencies required of future medical laboratory science practitioners. Clinical Laboratory Science, 26, 200–204. Archibong, F., Atangwho, A., Ayuk, E. A., Okoye, E. I., Atroger, M., Okokon, B. I. (2019). Medical law: exploring doctor's knowledge on the laws regulating clinical and medical laboratories in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Medicine, 28(4), 386–392. Plebani, M., Laposata, M., Lippi, G. (2019). Driving the route of laboratory medicine: a manifesto for the future. Internal and Emergency Medicine, 14, 337–340. Goulding, M. H., Graham, L., Chorney, D., Rajendram, R. (2020). The use of interprofessional stimulation to improve collaboration and problem solving among undergraduate BHSc medical laboratory science and BScN nursing students. Canadian Journal of Medical Laboratory Science, 82(2), 25–33.
Salvinorin A is a κ-opioid receptor agonist and hallucinogen and is the main active constituent in Salvia divinorum (also known as diviner's sage, ska maría pastora, or simply salvia). It is usually taken via inhalation such as smoking or via oral administration. The drug is structurally distinct from other naturally occurring hallucinogens (such as dimethyltryptamine (DMT), psilocybin, ergine (LSA), and mescaline), for instance containing no nitrogen atoms; hence, it is not an alkaloid (and cannot be rendered as a salt), but rather is a terpenoid. It also differs in subjective experience, compared to other hallucinogens, and has been described as having strong dissociative-esque effects. Salvinorin A can produce psychoactive experiences in humans with a typical duration of action being several minutes to an hour or so, depending on the route of administration. Salvinorin A is found with several other structurally related salvinorins. Salvinorin is a trans-neoclerodane diterpenoid. It is the first known compound acting as a κ-opioid receptor agonist that is not an alkaloid.
Olanzapine/samidorphan, sold under the brand name Lybalvi, is a fixed-dose combination medication for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. It contains olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic, and samidorphan, an opioid antagonist. Samidorphan reduces the weight gain associated with olanzapine while still allowing olanzapine to exert its therapeutic effect. The formulation was approved for medical use in the United States in May 2021.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
American planners had briefly contemplated an invasion of northern Japan from the Aleutian Islands during the autumn of 1943 but rejected that idea as too risky and impractical. They considered the use of Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, on Amchitka and Shemya bases, but rejected the idea. The U.S. military maintained interest in these plans when they ordered the expansion of bases in the western Aleutians, and major construction began on Shemya. In 1945, plans for a possible invasion of Japan via the northern route were shelved. Between 18 and 31 August 1945 Soviet forces invaded the North and South Kurils. The Soviets expelled the entire Japanese civilian population of roughly 17,000 by 1946. Between 24 August and 4 September 1945 the Eleventh Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces sent two B-24s on reconnaissance missions over the North Kuril Islands with the intention of taking photos of the Soviet occupation in the area. Soviet fighters intercepted and forced them away. In February 1945 the Yalta Agreement promised to the Soviet Union South Sakhalin and the Kuril islands in return for entering the Pacific War against the Japanese during World War II. In August 1945 the Soviet Union mounted an armed invasion of South Sakhalin at the cost of over 5,000 Soviet and Japanese lives.
Lowrie has played Sherlock Holmes in the radio drama series The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes on the program Imagination Theatre since 2001. He also voiced Holmes in the program's related radio series The Classic Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. He and Lawrence Albert, who voices Dr. Watson on the program, are the longest-running audio Holmes and Watson team in American radio history. In 2011, he published a science fiction novel titled Dancing with Eternity. An audiobook version narrated by Lowrie and McLain was released in April 2014. In 2021, Lowrie directed a livestreamed version of the play 'night, Mother starring his wife Ellen McLain and Sheila Houlahan on the online platform Twitch with the story adapted by McLain within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The filmed online play is performed through an online face-to-face chat with the screen split between McLain's and Houlahan's screens, occasionally interrupted by cuts to pre-filmed footage relevant to the story. Lowrie has also had small roles in several live-action films, most notable of which being the 2025 critically acclaimed period drama Train Dreams as a foreman overlooking the construction of a railroad for the Spokane International Railway (credited as Mr. Sears).
CH2=CH2 + 3 O2 → 2 CO2 + 2 H2O, ΔH=−1327 kJ/mol (CH2CH2)O + 2.5 O2 → 2 CO2 + 2 H2O, ΔH=−1223 kJ/mol According to a kinetic analysis by Kilty and Sachtler, the following reactions describe the pathway leading to EO. In the first step, a superoxide (O2−) species is formed:
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is a synthetic five-amino-acid peptide that acts as a growth hormone secretagogue. Three of its residues are non-standard amino acids, and the chain ends in an amide rather than a free acid. The molecule is small enough that it can be characterised by routine peptide analytical techniques.
It has not received marketing approval as a medicine in the United States or the European Union. Supplied material is generally described and handled as a research chemical. Regulatory treatment varies by jurisdiction, and some countries restrict growth hormone secretagogues under sports or medicines legislation.
Earlier secretagogues were associated with broader hormonal responses, including measurable changes in cortisol and prolactin. Reports on this peptide describe a narrower profile in which growth hormone release is the most prominent effect. The observation is influential because it shapes how the compound is compared with other members of the same receptor family.
It acts on the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, GHS-R1a, which is also the receptor for ghrelin. Binding triggers intracellular signaling that promotes growth hormone release from the pituitary. The interaction is the basis for its classification as a secretagogue.