The growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a agonists, anamorelin and ipamorelin, inhibit cisplatin-induced weight loss in ferrets — VialBase Research
Ipamorelin (1-3 mg/kg IP) inhibited cisplatin-induced weight loss in ferrets
- Ipamorelin (1-3 mg/kg IP) inhibited cisplatin-induced weight loss in ferrets
- Anamorelin exhibited both anti-emetic and weight-preserving effects; ipamorelin only weight-preserving
- Both compounds act through GHS-R1a (ghrelin receptor) but with differing pharmacological profiles
- Ipamorelin did not significantly inhibit emesis unlike anamorelin
- Supports appetite-stimulating role of GHS-R1a activation by ipamorelin
Summary
Investigation of whether ghrelin mimetics (anamorelin and ipamorelin) can alleviate weight loss and feeding inhibition during cisplatin-induced emesis in ferrets. Ferrets received anamorelin (1-3 mg/kg) or ipamorelin (1-3 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. Both compounds inhibited weight loss, but only anamorelin exhibited direct anti-emetic effects. The study also compared their ability to inhibit electrical field stimulation (EFS)-induced contractions of isolated ferret ileum.
Key Findings
- Ipamorelin prevented cisplatin-induced weight loss at 1-3 mg/kg IP doses
- Unlike anamorelin, ipamorelin did not exhibit anti-emetic effects — suggesting different downstream signaling despite shared GHS-R1a agonism
- Anamorelin inhibited emesis via a central mechanism
- The weight-preserving effect of ipamorelin supports its appetite-stimulating properties
- Differential pharmacological profiles despite acting on the same receptor
Relevance to Ipamorelin
This is the most recent dedicated ipamorelin study in PubMed. It confirms ipamorelin’s GHS-R1a-mediated appetite-stimulating and weight-preserving properties while revealing that it lacks the anti-emetic effects of anamorelin. This pharmacological distinction is important for understanding ipamorelin’s selectivity profile — it stimulates GH release and appetite but does not engage all ghrelin receptor downstream pathways equally.
Citation
Lu Z, et al. Physiol Behav. 2024;284:114644. PMID: 39043357
See Also
- Parent compound: Ipamorelin