L-692,429, a nonpeptide growth hormone (GH) secretagogue, reverses glucocorticoid suppression of GH secretion.

The reversal of glucocorticoid-induced negative nitrogen balance by GH supports a possible therapeutic role for GH treatment in patients receiving these catabolic steroids. A GH secretagogue might be of similar utility. However, stimulated GH secretion is generally suppressed by glucocorticoids. To test whether L-692,429, a nonpeptide mimic of GH-releasing peptide-6, can overcome such suppression, a double blind, placebo-controlled, three-period, cross-over study was performed in nine healthy young men who received 0.2 mg/kg L-692,429, i.v., preceded by 4 days of prednisolone (20 mg, orally, three times daily) or placebo, and 0.75 mg/kg L-692,429 preceded by prednisolone only. The mean (SE) GH peak and area under the curve between 0-240 min after administration of 0.2 mg/kg L-692,429 in the absence of steroid were 53.8 (7.2) micrograms/L and 3481 (1005) micrograms/min.L, which were reduced to 25.1 (3.4) micrograms/L and 1342 (285) micrograms/min.L (P < or = 0.01) when treatment was preceded by 4 days of p...