GROWTH-HORMONE RESPONSE TO CLONIDINE IN THE NERVOUS POINTER DOG-MODELOF ANXIETY

Blunted growth hormone responses to clonidine have been reported in mo st studies of humans with panic disorder but have been an inconsistent finding in the study of other anxiety syndromes. The growth hormone r esponse to oral clonidine (100 mu g/kg) was investigated in the adult nervous pointer dog, it genetic animal model of anxiety. Compared with placebo, clonidine produced significant increases in plasma levels of growth hormone; however; there were no differences in the growth horm one (GH) responses to clonidine in the nervous compared with the norma l pointer dogs. Findings in this animal model are discussed within the context of noradrenergic-hypothalamic-GH dysfunction reported in some but not all types of anxiety disorders in humans. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss , Inc.