The Effect of Methandrostenolone on Pituitary Growth Hormone Secretion

The effect of methandrostenolone on plasma growth hormone levels was studied in 18 children and adolescents with growth retardation following insulin hypoglycemia in 17 and arginine infusion in one patient. The tests were performed before and after a 3 to 4 month period of oral methandrostenolone (0.017-0.068 mg/kg/d) administration. According to mean peak pretreatment GH response, two groups were distinguished: Group 1 - with a subnormal response (3.26 ng/ml ± 0.95 SE), and, Group 2 - with a normal response (19.53 ng/ml ± 1.03 SE). Methandrostenolone treatment caused an increase in the GH response in Group 1. The only change in the second group was a rise in starvation GH levels. Our study is suggestive that the synthetic anabolic steroids, similar to testosterone, stimulate GH secretion. Thus, a part of the growth promoting activity of androgens may be mediated by GH.