Interaction of beta-adrenergic agonists and antagonists with the stimulation of growth hormone release induced by clonidine or by morphine in the rat.

The beta-adrenergic agonist, isoprenaline, and antagonist, propranolol, had no effect on the delayed basal secretion of GH consistently observed in rats treated with the narco-analgesic gamma-hydroxybutyrate. Under the same experimental conditions, GH release was distinctly stimulated by infusion of the alpha-adrenergic agonist, clonidine, and by morphine; both responses were dose-dependent. The effects of beta-adrenergic agonists and antagonists on these GH responses were as follows: in rats pretreated with isoprenaline -the GH release induced by clonidine and morphine was abolished whereas it was enhanced in rats pretreated with propranolol. These data confirmed and extended previous reports from this laboratory on the inhibitory role of beta-adrenergic receptors on GH regulation.