A comparison of clonidine and standard provocative agents of growth hormone.

To evaluate the effectiveness of clonidine on growth-hormone (GH) release in prepubertal children, and to distinguish between a central alpha-adrenergic effect and a corticotropin-cortisol-mediated response, we measured serum glucose, corticotropin, cortisol, and GH concentrations following levodopa, arginine hydrochloride, and clonidine hydrochloride stimulation in 15 euthyroid children who had short stature. We found that clonidine is an effective and safe stimulator of GH release and provided a clearer distinction between GH-deficient and non-GH-deficient young persons than levodopa or arginine. The action of clonidine is not corticotropin-cortisol mediated.