J Korean Soc Pediatr Endocrinol.  1998 Nov;3(2):157-163.

Comparison of Growth Hormone Secretory Ability between Insulin, Propranolol-levodopa, and Clonidine in Growth Hormone Deficiency Patients

• Jang HS
• Ko CW

Abstract

PURPOSE
Several drugs such as insulin, propranolol, levodopa, glucagon and clonidine have been used for pharmacological growth hormone(GH) provocative test, and each medical center chooses different combinations of drugs during GH provocative tests. In this study, authors compared three drugs insulin(RI), clonidine(C), and propranolol-levodopa(P-L) in terms of GH secretory ability to select the most effective drug.
METHODS
Study patients consisted of 63 children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency, who were diagnosed 'H deficiency'in the department of pediatrics, Kyungpook National University Hospital between January, 1995 and December, 1995. Peak values of GH by each drug were analyzed and following results were obtained.
RESULTS
Numbers of patients who showed peak GH values of < or = 5ng/mL, 6-9ng/ mL or > or = 10ng/mL were 23, 22 and 18 respectively in GH provocative test using RI, 48, 12 and 3, respectively in GH provocative test using P-L, 55, 8 and 0, respectively in GH provocative test using C. The numbers of patients showing peak growth hormone values over 6ng/mL were more significantly in GH provocative test using RI than those using P-L or C(P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Among drugs authors have been using in GH provocative tests, RI was more effective in stimulating growth hormone secretion than P-L or C. Authors feel that RI should be included in GH provocative tests for the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency.

Keyword

Growth hormone deficiency; Insulin; Propranolol-levodopa; Clonidine

MeSH Terms

Child
Clonidine*
Diagnosis
Glucagon
Growth Hormone*
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Humans
Insulin*
Levodopa
Pediatrics
Propranolol
Clonidine
Glucagon
Growth Hormone
Insulin
Levodopa
Propranolol