The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, important in reproduction and sex hormone-dependent diseases, is regulated by a number of G protein-coupled receptors. The recently "deorphanized" GPR54 receptor activated by the peptide metastin is thought to be the key regulator of the axis, mainly by releasing gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus. The latter decapeptide, t...

This article gives an overview of current pharmacological treatment of paraphilias and sex offenders focusing on the situation in Germany. Information about selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) is followed by data about established antihormonal substances (cyproterone acetate/CPA, and medroxyprogesterone acetate/MPA), as well as a more detailed account on luteinizing hormone-releasing...

The dismal prognosis of malignant brain tumors drives the development of new treatment modalities. In view of the multiple activities of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), we hypothesized that pretreatment with a GHRH agonist, JI-34, might increase the susceptibility of U-87 MG glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells to subsequent treatment with the cytotoxic drug, doxorubicin (DOX). This con...