GHRP-6

Key Benefits#

• Strong GH stimulation
• Elevated IGF-1
• Muscle growth and recovery support
• Potential anti-inflammatory effects at GI level
• Useful for patients with appetite deficiency or cachexia
• Enhanced recovery from training

Mechanism of Action#

GHRP-6 activates ghrelin receptors (GHSR-1a) in the pituitary and hypothalamus, stimulating GH release while also inhibiting somatostatin. It has a strong ghrelin-mimetic effect, which directly drives appetite through hypothalamic circuits. It elevates GH comparably to GHRP-2 but with more pronounced hunger stimulation and similar modest cortisol/prolactin elevations.

Dosing Protocols#

Side Effects#

• Intense hunger surge (30–45 min post-injection)
• Water retention
• Elevated cortisol (modest)
• Elevated prolactin (modest)
• Injection site irritation
• Fatigue

Contraindications#

Active cancer or history of cancer. Pregnancy or breastfeeding. Diabetes or insulin resistance.

Storage#

Lyophilized powder: store at −20°C. Reconstituted: refrigerate at 2–8°C, use within 30 days.

Featured In Stacks#

1. 1.
   Growth hormone releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) ameliorates acute lung injury and its subsequent evolvement to interstitial fibrosis

   Wang L, Berlanga-Acosta J, Yu H, García-Ojalvo A, Jiang T, Li N et al. · International immunopharmacology · 2026PubMed Verified

2. 2.
   Oral salmon acylated ghrelin increases food intake in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) via ghrelin receptors, likely through sensory nerves rather than systemic absorption

   Kihara M, Yamagiwa T, Katayama H, Kaiya H · Peptides · 2026PubMed Verified

3. 3.
   Effect of intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of antimicrobial peptide expressed in the body-2 (LEAP-2) and its interaction with cannabinoid and ghrelin systems on food intake in broiler chickens

   Rahmania A, Zendehdel M, Hassanpour S · Poultry science · 2026PubMed Verified

4. 4.
   Growth hormone-releasing peptide 6 (GHRP-6) hydrogel for acute kidney injury therapy via metabolic regulation

   Zhao X, Pan K, Li R, Liu M, Li D, Jia P et al. · Journal of nanobiotechnology · 2025PubMed Verified

5. 5.
   Aza-Isotryptophan: Synthesis, Pictet-Spengler Chemistry, Incorporation and Conformational Analysis in Peptides, and Activity in Modulators of the Cluster of Differentiation-36 Receptor

   Wei X, Mulumba M, Chemtob S, Ong H, Lubell WD · Journal of medicinal chemistry · 2025PubMed Verified

6. 6.
   Assessing The Effectiveness of Growth Hormone Releasing Protein-6 in Improving Human Oocyte Maturation and Meiotic Progression in In Vitro Maturation Culture Media

   Ostadian C, Hayati N, Zahiri Sorouri Z, Hosseini A · International journal of fertility & sterility · 2025PubMed Verified

7. 7.
   The Ghrelin Analog GHRP-6, Delivered Through Aquafeeds, Modulates the Endocrine and Immune Responses of Sparus aurata Following IFA Treatment

   Rodríguez-Viera L, Caderno A, Martinez R, Martinez-Rodríguez G, Oliva M, Perera E et al. · Biology · 2025PubMed Verified

8. 8.
   A novel butyrylcholinesterase inhibitor induces antidepressant, pro-cognitive, and anti-anhedonic effects in Flinders Sensitive Line rats: The role of the ghrelin-dopamine cascade

   Olivier N, Harvey BH, Gobec S, Shahid M, Košak U, Žakelj S et al. · Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 2025PubMed Verified

9. 9.
   Danshen-Chuanxiong-Honghua ameliorates neurological function and inflammation in traumatic brain injury in rats via modulating Ghrelin/GHSR

   Zhang X, Cai Y, Chen M, Chen L, Mao Y, He R et al. · Journal of ethnopharmacology · 2025PubMed Verified

10. 10.
    GHSR gene knockout alleviates the liver pathological response in Echinococcus granulosus infection by reducing parasite survival

    Zhu J, Zhou T, Chen G, Gao H, Chen X, Tuohetali A et al. · Veterinary research · 2025PubMed Verified

11. 11.
    Ghrelin promotes neurologic recovery and neurogenesis in the chronic phase after experimental stroke

    Beuker C, Schreiner U, Strecker JK, Altach E, Rätzel V, Schmidt-Pogoda A et al. · Neurological research and practice · 2025PubMed Verified

12. 12.
    Subchronic safety assessment of CIGB-500 in beagle dog after repeated daily dose administration over 28 days

    Castro J, Shaikh I, Silo S, Hum C, Carrier M, DiFruscia R et al. · Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP · 2025PubMed Verified

13. 13.
    Ghrelin suppresses water intake with a different physiological significance from atrial natriuretic peptide in conscious seawater-acclimated eels

    Kaiya H, Nobata S, Takei Y · The Journal of experimental biology · 2025PubMed Verified

14. 14.
    Changes in Locomotor Activity Observed During Acute Nicotine Withdrawal Can Be Attenuated by Ghrelin and GHRP-6 in Rats

    Ayman J, Buzás A, Dochnal R, Palotai M, Jászberényi M, Bagosi Z · Biomedicines · 2025PubMed Verified

15. 15.
    Intranasal Delivery of a Ghrelin Mimetic Engages the Brain Ghrelin Signaling System in Mice

    Poelman R, Le May MV, Schéle E, Stoltenborg I, Dickson SL · Endocrinology · 2025PubMed Verified

16. 16.
    Ghrelin is essential for lowering blood pressure during torpor

    Matsui K, Ida T, Oishi K, Kojima M, Sato T · Frontiers in endocrinology · 2024PubMed Verified

17. 17.
    Ghrelin is involved in regulating the progression of Echinococcus Granulosus-infected liver lesions through suppression of immunoinflammation and fibrosis

    Zhu J, Zhao H, Aierken A, Zhou T, Menggen M, Gao H et al. · PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024PubMed Verified

18. 18.
    Ghrelin Modulates Voltage-Gated Ca(2+) Channels through Voltage-Dependent and Voltage-Independent Pathways in Rat Gastric Vagal Afferent Neurons

    Goudsward HJ, Ruiz-Velasco V, Stella SL , Jr, Herold PB, Holmes GM · Molecular pharmacology · 2024PubMed Verified

19. 19.
    Rikkunshito improves anorexia through ghrelin- and orexin-dependent activation of the brain hypothalamus and mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway in rats

    Yakabi K, Yamaguchi N, Takayama K, Hosomi E, Hori Y, Ro S et al. · Neurogastroenterology and motility · 2024PubMed Verified

20. 20.
    Novel chimeric peptides based on endomorphins and ghrelin receptor antagonist produced supraspinal antinociceptive effects with reduced acute tolerance in mice

    Wu B, Cheng S, Liu F, Wei J, Liu Y, Qian T et al. · Biochimie · 2025PubMed Verified

21. 21.
    Ghrelin Improves Glucolipotoxicity-Induced Pancreatic β-Cellular Dysfunction and Apoptosis by Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced IRE1/JNK Pathway

    Li XY, Zhong CR, Wu JC, Yuan CH, Ran JM · Discovery medicine · 2024PubMed Verified

22. 22.
    Calorie restriction activates a gastric Notch-FOXO1 pathway to expand ghrelin cells

    McKimpson WM, Spiegel S, Mukhanova M, Kraakman M, Du W, Kitamoto T et al. · The Journal of cell biology · 2024PubMed Verified

23. 23.
    Growth hormone releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) prevents doxorubicin-induced myocardial and extra-myocardial damages by activating prosurvival mechanisms

    Berlanga-Acosta J, Cibrian D, Valiente-Mustelier J, Suárez-Alba J, García-Ojalvo A, Falcón-Cama V et al. · Frontiers in pharmacology · 2024PubMed Verified

24. 24.
    Ghrelin alleviates intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury by activating the GHSR-1α/Sirt1/FOXO1 pathway

    Liao SS, Zhang LL, Zhang YG, Luo J, Kadier T, Ding K et al. · FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2024PubMed Verified

25. 25.
    Combination therapy of Epidermal Growth Factor and Growth Hormone-Releasing Hexapeptide in acute ischemic stroke: a phase I/II non-blinded, randomized clinical trial

    Hernández-Bernal F, Estenoz-García D, Gutiérrez-Ronquillo JH, Martín-Bauta Y, Catasús-Álvarez K, Gutiérrez-Castillo M et al. · Frontiers in neurology · 2024PubMed Verified

26. 26.
    Ghrelin regulates the endoplasmic reticulum stress signalling pathway in gestational diabetes mellitus

    Li X, Ji Q, Zhong C, Wu C, Wu J, Yuan C et al. · Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 2024PubMed Verified

27. 27.
    Ghrelin misbalance affects mice embryo implantation and pregnancy success by uterine immune dysregulation and nitrosative stress

    Luque EM, Díaz-Luján CM, Paira DA, de Loredo N, Torres PJ, Cantarelli VI et al. · Frontiers in endocrinology · 2023PubMed Verified

28. 28.
    Differential impact of a ghrelin receptor antagonist or inverse agonist in the electrical kindling model of epilepsy

    Beheshti S, Ershadi S, Zamani F, Azimzadeh M, Wesal MW · Epilepsy research · 2023PubMed Verified

29. 29.
    Ghrelin Amplifies the Nicotine-Induced Release of Dopamine in the Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis (BNST)

    Ayman J, Palotai M, Dochnal R, Bagosi Z · Biomedicines · 2023PubMed Verified

30. 30.
    In-house standards derived from doping peptides: Enzymatic and serum stability and degradation profile of GHRP and GHRH-related peptides

    González-López NM, Guerra-Acero-Turizo LM, Blanco-Medina I, Barragán-Cárdenas AC, Ramírez-Celis DA, Martínez-Ramírez JA et al. · Biomedical chromatography : BMC · 2023PubMed Verified

31. 31.
    Desacylghrelin modulates GHS-R1 receptor expression and cell differentiation in placental BeWo cells

    Coria-Caballero V, Jaramillo-Narvaez MD, Leon-Verdin MG, Martinez F, Lazo-de-la-Vega-Monroy ML, Barbosa-Sabanero G · Molecular and cellular endocrinology · 2023PubMed Verified

32. 32.
    Inhibition of ghrelin activity by the receptor antagonist [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 enhances hepatic fatty acid oxidation and gluconeogenesis in a growing pig model

    Zhang H, Yan X, Lin A, Xia P, Su Y · Peptides · 2023PubMed Verified

33. 33.
    The effects and mechanisms of ghrelin upon angiogenesis in human coronary artery endothelial cells under hypoxia

    Wang L, Chen Q, Pang J · Peptides · 2023PubMed Verified

34. 34.
    Intracerebroventricular injection of ghrelin receptor antagonist alleviated NAFLD via improving hypothalamic insulin resistance

    Gong Y, Guo Y, Jiang Y, Xing Z, Zhang H, Wang H et al. · Iranian journal of basic medical sciences · 2022PubMed Verified

35. 35.
    Ghrelin Downregulates Lipopolysaccharide/ Leptin-Induced MUC5AC Expression in Human Nasal Epithelial Cells

    Choi YS, Na HG, Bae CH, Song SY, Kim YD · Clinical and experimental otorhinolaryngology · 2023PubMed Verified

36. 36.
    Temporal patterns of increased growth hormone secretion in mice after oral administration of L-ornithine: possible involvement of ghrelin receptors

    Taniguchi E, Hattori A, Kurogi K, Hishida Y, Watanabe F, Furuse M et al. · The Journal of veterinary medical science · 2022PubMed Verified

37. 37.
    Meranzin Hydrate Improves Depression-Like Behaviors and Hypomotility via Ghrelin and Neurocircuitry

    Liu YL, Xu JJ, Han LR, Liu XF, Lin MH, Wang Y et al. · Chinese journal of integrative medicine · 2023PubMed Verified

38. 38.
    Efficient transdermal delivery of functional protein cargoes by a hydrophobic peptide MTD 1067

    Shin HJ, Bak SU, La HN, Kang JS, Lee HH, Eom HJ et al. · Scientific reports · 2022PubMed Verified

39. 39.
    Antagonization of Ghrelin Suppresses Muscle Protein Deposition by Altering Gut Microbiota and Serum Amino Acid Composition in a Pig Model

    Yan X, Zhang H, Lin A, Su Y · Biology · 2022PubMed Verified

40. 40.
    The neuropeptide cortistatin attenuates Th17 cell response through inhibition of glycolysis via GHSR1

    Guo Y, Sun D, Zhang Y, Yu X, Fang Y, Lv C et al. · International immunopharmacology · 2022PubMed Verified

41. 41.
    Effect of feeding regimen on circadian activity rhythms of food anticipatory by ghrelin hormone in a pig model

    Zhang H, Yan X, Lin A, Xia P, Jia M, Su Y · Nutritional neuroscience · 2023PubMed Verified

42. 42.
    Liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 functions independently of growth hormone secretagogue receptor in calorie-restricted mice

    Islam MN, Zhang W, Sakai K, Nakazato Y, Tanida R, Sakoda H et al. · Peptides · 2022PubMed Verified

43. 43.
    Enteral nutrition alleviated lipopolysaccharides-induced hypercatabolism through ghrelin/GHS-R1α-POMC

    Cao C, Zhang Y, Zuo S, Zhao W, Wu Y, Ma X · Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 2022PubMed Verified

44. 44.
    Role of Dopaminergic and Cannabinoidergic Receptors on Ghrelin-Induced Hypophagia in 5-Day-Old Broiler Chicken

    Farrokhi R, Babapour V, Zendehdel M, Asghari A, Gilanpour H · Archives of Razi Institute · 2021PubMed Verified

45. 45.
    Antagonism of the ghrelin receptor type 1a in the rat brain induces status epilepticus in an electrical kindling model of epilepsy

    Azimzadeh M, Beheshti S · Psychopharmacology · 2022PubMed Verified

46. 46.
    Ghrelin receptor antagonist attenuated sickness behavior and activation of HPA-axis induced by immunological challenge in male rats

    Paula DE Jr, Vilela FC, Giusti-Paiva A · Life sciences · 2022PubMed Verified

47. 47.
    Therapeutic effects of acylated ghrelin-specific receptor GHS-R1a antagonist in islet transplantation

    Chinen K, Sakata N, Yoshimatsu G, Nakamura M, Kodama S · Scientific reports · 2021PubMed Verified

48. 48.
    Growth hormone secretagogue peptide-6 enhances oreochromicins transcription and antimicrobial activity in tilapia (Oreochromis sp.)

    Hernández L, Camacho H, Nuñez-Robainas A, Palenzuela DO, Morales A, Basabe L et al. · Fish & shellfish immunology · 2021PubMed Verified

49. 49.
    Thermoregulatory role of ghrelin in the induction of torpor under a restricted feeding condition

    Sato T, Oishi K, Koga D, Ida T, Sakai Y, Kangawa K et al. · Scientific reports · 2021PubMed Verified

50. 50.
    The active fragments of ghrelin cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain to produce antinociceptive effects after systemic administration

    Fan BW, Liu YL, Zhu GX, Wu B, Zhang MM, Deng Q et al. · Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology · 2021PubMed Verified