GH SECRETAGOGUES AND USES THEREOF

1 - 17 . (canceled)

18 . A method of altering a first body composition parameter of a subject, wherein said method results in no or substantially no decrease in a second body composition parameter of said subject, wherein said second body composition parameter is:

(i) limb fat;

(ii) subcutaneous fat;

(iii) subcutaneous abdominal tissue (SAT); or

(iv) any combination of (i) to (iii);

said method comprising administering to said subject an agent wherein said agent is:

(a) a growth hormone (GH) secretagogue; or

(b) a composition comprising a GH secretagogue and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein said GH secretagogue is GH-releasing factor (GRF) or a GRF analog.

20 . The method of claim 19 wherein said GRF analog is a GRF analog of formula A:

X-GRF Peptide (A)

wherein;

the GRF peptide is a peptide of formula B;

A1-A2-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-A8-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-A13-

Leu-A15-Gln-Leu-A18-Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-A24-A25-

Ile-A27-A28-Arg-A30-R0 (B)

wherein,

A1 is Tyr or His;

A2 is Val or Ala;

A8 is Asn or Ser;

A13 is Val or Ile;

A15 is Ala or Gly;

A18 is Ser or Tyr;

A24 is Gln or His;

A25 is Asp or Glu;

A27 is Met, Ile or Nle;

A28 is Ser or Asn;

A30 is a bond or amino acid sequence of 1 up to 15 residues; and

R0 is NH 2 or NH—(CH 2 )n-CONH 2 , with n=1 to 12; and

X is a hydrophobic tail anchored via an amide bond to the N-terminus of the peptide and the hydrophobic tail defining a backbone of 5 to 7 atoms;

wherein the backbone can be substituted by C1-6 alkyl, C3-6 cycloalkyl, or C6-12 aryl and the backbone comprises at least one rigidifying moiety connected to at least two atoms of the backbone; and

said moiety is double bond, triple bond, saturated or unsaturated C3-9 cycloalkyl, or C6-12 aryl.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein X is:

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein A30 is:

(a) a bond;

(b) an amino acid sequence corresponding to positions 30-44 of a natural GRF peptide, or

(c) said amino acid sequence of (b) having a 1-14 amino acid deletion from its C-terminal.

23 . The method of claim 20 , wherein said GRF peptide is:

(a) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3;

(b) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5; or

(c) the polypeptide of (a) having a 1 to 14 amino acid deletion from its C-terminus.

24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein said GRF analog is (hexenoyl trans-3)hGRF(1-44)NH 2 .

25 . The method of claim 18 , wherein said alteration of a first body composition parameter is:

(a) an increase in lean body mass

(b) a decrease in trunk fat;

(c) a decrease in visceral fat;

(d) a decrease in abdominal girth;

(e) a decrease in visceral abdominal tissue (VAT);

(f) a decrease in VAT:SAT ratio; or

(g) any combination of (a) to (f).

26 . The method of claim 18 , wherein said first body composition parameter is associated with lipodystrophy, lipohypertrophy, obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia or syndrome X.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein said lipodystrophy is HIV-related lipodystrophy.

28 . The method of claim 18 , wherein said subject is HIV positive.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein said subject is receiving antiviral therapy.

30 . The method of claim 18 , wherein said subject suffers from diabetes, glucose intolerance or insulin resistance.

31 . The method of claim 20 , wherein said GRF analog is administered at a dose of about 0.0001 to 2 mg.

32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein said GRF analog is administered at a dose of about 1 mg or about 2 mg.

33 . The method of claim 18 , wherein said GH secretagogue or said composition is administered by an intravenous, oral, transdermal, subcutaneous, mucosal, intramuscular, intranasal, intrapulmonary, parenteral, intrarectal or topical route.

34 . The method of claim 33 , wherein said GH secretagogue or said composition is administered by a subcutaneous route.

35 . The method of claim 18 , wherein said alteration of a first body composition parameter results in an improvement in quality of life of said subject.

36 - 88 . (canceled)

89 . The method of claim 32 , wherein said GRF analog is administered at a dose of about 2 mg.