The GHRH receptor

One receptor, a cAMP cascade, and the biology of a single GH pulse

Everything sermorelin does begins at one place: the GHRH receptor on pituitary somatotropes. It is a seven-transmembrane, Gs-coupled receptor that turns a binding event into a burst of cAMP and, moments later, a pulse of growth hormone.

This unit follows the signal from receptor to released hormone, explains why the pituitary transcription factor Pit-1 matters, and lays out why intermittent dosing is expected to keep the receptor responsive. In pituitary cells, GHRH exposure does blunt the next response; in people, the only head-to-head of dosing patterns in the sources this course holds lasted single study nights.