GROWTH-HORMONE RESPONSE TO PLACEBO, APOMORPHINE AND GROWTH-HORMONE RELEASING HORMONE IN ABSTINENT ALCOHOLICS AND CONTROL SUBJECTS

Abstinent alcoholics and control subjects were challenged with placebo (saline), growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) and apomorphine (AP O). While both groups did not differ in their growth hormone response (HGH) to placebo and GHRH, the alcoholics revealed a significant lower HGH response to dopamine receptor stimulation with APO. These finding s provide no evidence that in abstinent alcoholics HGH blunting after dopamine receptor stimulation could be related to an alteration at the pituitary level but they give neuroendocrinological! support to the h ypothesis of a lower dopamine receptor sensitivity in abstinent alcoho lics. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.