GHRP-2, a Ghrelin Agonist, Attenuates Acute Lung Injury in Rats

Acute Lung Injury (ALI) is a severe inflammatory condition of the lungs, often triggered by infections like sepsis or trauma, leading to impaired gas exchange and high mortality. It's characterized by widespread inflammation, fluid accumulation in the lungs (edema), and damage to the alveolar-capillary barrier. Current treatments are largely supportive, highlighting an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. This study specifically investigated whether Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-2 (GHRP-2), a ghrelin agonist, could mitigate LPS-induced ALI in a rat model.

The study demonstrated that GHRP-2 significantly attenuated the severity of LPS-induced ALI in rats. Animals pre-treated or co-treated with GHRP-2 showed a marked reduction in lung edema, with the lung wet-to-dry weight ratio decreasing by approximately 45% compared to the untreated LPS group (p<0.01). Inflammatory markers were also substantially suppressed; GHRP-2 treatment led to a 55% reduction in TNF-α and a 48% reduction in IL-6 levels in BALF (p<0.001 for both). Furthermore, neutrophil infiltration, indicated by MPO activity, was reduced by 60% in the GHRP-2 treated group (p<0.01). The most significant finding was a 2.5-fold improvement in lung histopathological scores, indicating substantially less tissue damage and inflammation in GHRP-2 treated rats compared to controls. These findings collectively suggest that GHRP-2 exerts potent anti-inflammatory and protective effects against acute lung injury.