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Oral clonidine: an effective provocative test of growth hormone release
Insights
Clonidine effectively stimulates growth hormone (GH) release in children, showing significantly higher GH peaks than the standard insulin tolerance test. This study highlights clonidine as a potent alternative for assessing somatotropic function.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Pharmacology
- Growth Hormone Physiology
Background:
- Insulin-induced hypoglycemia is the gold standard for assessing growth hormone (GH) release.
- Accurate measurement of somatotropic function is crucial for diagnosing growth disorders in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of clonidine as a stimulant for GH release in undersized children.
- To compare the GH response to clonidine with that of insulin-induced hypoglycemia.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 31 undersized children aged 4-14 years.
- Administered clonidine and insulin-induced hypoglycemia to assess GH release.
- Measured peak GH levels and categorized patient responses.
Main Results:
- Clonidine elicited an average GH peak of 13.7 +/- 1.9 ng/ml, significantly higher than the 7.0 +/- 0.9 ng/ml observed with insulin.
- A statistically significant difference (p < 0.01) in GH response favored clonidine.
- More patients achieved higher GH levels (>8 ng/ml) with clonidine stimulation.
Conclusions:
- Clonidine is a more potent stimulant for GH release compared to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in children.
- Clonidine represents a promising and effective alternative for evaluating somatotropic function in pediatric patients.
- Further research may establish clonidine as a preferred diagnostic tool for growth hormone deficiency.
Abstract:
The authors tested the efficiency of clonidine as a stimulant for growth hormone (GH) release in a group of 31 undersized children aged from four to fourteen years. The efficacy of clonidine was compared with insulin-induced hypoglycaemia, which has so far been considered the most valid test for somatotropic function measurement. The average GH peak after clonidine was 13.7 +/- 1.9 ng/ml, while after insulin it was only 7.0 +/- 0.9 ng/ml. The number of patients responding to clonidine and insulin reacting with GH values below 5, between 5 and 8, and higher than 8 ng/ml were reported, and the difference between the two sets of values was found to be statistically significant (p less than 0,01) in favour of clonidine.