Cholinergic muscarinic blockade produces short-term suppression of growth hormone secretion in children with tall stature.

We have studied the effects of oral pirenzepine (50 mg twice daily) on growth and growth hormone (GH) secretion in 10 children with tall stature (9F, 1M). Suppression of GH secretion was observed in all children for 2-3 h after drug administration but was followed by rebound secretion of GH after 4-6 h. Consequently there was little overall change in GH secretion. In the dose regimen used the disruption of normal pulsatile GH secretion was not sufficiently significant to change final or predicted heights.