Evaluation of propranolol-glucagon test

A propranolol-glucagon test was evaluated in 24 control normal children, 21 pituitary dwarfs, 15 patients with constitutional short stature, 2 with chromosome aberration and 4 with miscellaneous diseases. The dose of glucagon enough for the stimulation of human growth hormone (HGH) secretion is more than 20 microgram/kg of body weight. During the test in the control subjects the serum HGH level increased from 2.3 +/- 1.2 ng/ml to a maximum level of 30.0 +/- 15.1 ng/ml, when 10 mg propranolol, regardless of body weight and 30 microgram glucagon per kg of body weight are given. The dose of propranolol administered ranged from 0.2 to 1.0 mg/kg of body weight in normal children studied. Serum 11-OHCS also increased significantly from 14.5 +/- 11.2 microgram/100 ml to 30.1 +/- 15.5 microgram/100 ml (P less than 0.01). There was no difference in the maximum level of urinary total catecholamines in propranolol-glucagon test between 7 pituitary dwarfs and 7 control subjects. The mechanism of HGH response to propranolol-glucagon administration is unknown, but propranolol-glucagon administration is a sensitive and reliable provocative test for HGH secretion, since false negative response of HGH are not observed in patients with non-pituitary disease.