Ectopic GHRH secretion, the acromegaly it causes, and the receptor in pituitary adenomas

Published 26 October 2026 · REVIVE LAB UAE Research Desk · 5 min read
Fewer than one in a hundred cases of acromegaly arise from a tumour outside the pituitary — typically a bronchial or pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour — secreting growth hormone-releasing hormone into the circulation; the pituitary responds with somatotroph hyperplasia and sustained growth hormone excess, and removing the tumour cures the condition. Such a tumour supplied the material for the 1982 isolation. In ordinary pituitary acromegaly the adenoma expresses the GHRH receptor, and about forty per cent carry an activating mutation in the Gs alpha protein, the gsp oncogene, that locks the receptor signal on without any hormone. Both phenomena show that sustained GHRH-receptor signalling is sufficient to drive the axis to excess.

Ectopic secretion

The tumours are rare and the diagnosis is made by measuring GHRH in blood, which is undetectable in pituitary acromegaly and high in the ectopic form. Pituitary imaging shows a uniformly enlarged gland rather than a discrete adenoma, and histology shows hyperplasia. The condition is a natural experiment in continuous rather than pulsatile releasing-hormone exposure: the pituitary does not desensitise, and growth hormone excess is sustained.

It is the clinical counterpart of the giant mice that overexpress the hormone.

The receptor in adenomas

Somatotroph adenomas express the GHRH receptor and respond to the hormone, which is why it was once used to test them. The gsp mutation replaces a residue needed to switch Gs alpha off, so cyclic AMP stays high as if the receptor were permanently occupied. The mutation was among the first oncogenes identified in an endocrine tumour, in 1989, and it ties the receptor signal directly to proliferation of the cell.

This is the basis of the active-malignancy and pituitary-tumour exclusions on the tesamorelin label.

Why it is here

Because the pathology of excess signalling is part of what is established about the receptor the molecule acts on. It describes disease biology and no use of the pack.

Tesamorelin is supplied by REVIVE LAB UAE for laboratory research use only, with identity by mass spectrometry and purity by HPLC for the batch. It is not for human or veterinary use, and no dosing, administration or protocol guidance is provided.

What it costs

FormatStrengthPriceAvailability
Tesamorelin Pack20 mgAED 1010In stock

Delivery is AED 40 flat and free on orders over AED 700. Payment is cash on delivery anywhere in the UAE, or USDT (TRC20) in advance, which takes 5% off the order total.

Frequently asked

Ectopic secretion?

The tumours are rare and the diagnosis is made by measuring GHRH in blood, which is undetectable in pituitary acromegaly and high in the ectopic form. Pituitary imaging shows a uniformly enlarged gland rather than a discrete adenoma, and histology shows hyperplasia. The condition is a natural experiment in continuous rather than pulsatile releasing-hormone exposure: the pituitary does not desensitise, and growth hormone excess is sustained.

Does REVIVE LAB UAE provide dosing guidance?

No. REVIVE LAB UAE supplies research materials and provides no dosing, administration or protocol guidance of any kind. Every product is sold for laboratory research use only and is not for human or veterinary consumption.

How fast is delivery in the UAE?

Stock is held in Dubai. An order confirmed before 4 PM Dubai time is dispatched the same working day, reaching Dubai and Abu Dhabi the same day and the remaining emirates within 24 hours. Delivery is AED 40 flat and free over AED 700.

Tesamorelin Pack — in stock, dispatched from Dubai
HPLC-verified, lot certificate on every carton, 24-hour delivery nationwide. Browse the catalogue → All peptides UAE

Related reading

Supplied for laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary consumption. REVIVE LAB UAE provides no dosing, administration or protocol guidance.