Abstract
The importance of cholinergic influences on growth hormone (GH) secretion has recently been established. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of low and high dose atropine (specific muscarinic cholinergic inhibition) on the normal secretion of GH. Nocturnal secretion was established by sampling frequently during the first cycle of Stage IV sleep in 9 subjects. Atropine was administered orally in a dose of 0.6mg (n = 5) or 1.6mg (n = 4) 30 mins before expected sleep and the sampling repeated. The peak GH level without atropine was 38.5 mU/l (range 6.7 to 92.0) while both doses of atropine completely inhibited GH secretion.
The effect of atropine on the daytime secretion of growth hormone was also studied in three young adults by repeated sampling for at least 12 hrs. Daytime secretion of GH was demonstrated (at least 3 discernable peaks of >8mU/l) and atropine 0.6mg p.o. 6hrly effectively abolished GH secretion. Prolonged sampling after a single dose suggests that the inhibition persists for up to 6 hours.
We conclude that the medical inhibition of GH secretion using anticholinergic drugs should be further investigated in the management of very tall children.
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J, S., D, B. Inhibition of Physiological Growth Hormone secretion by Atropine. Pediatr Res 18, 1213 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00072
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00072