Glucocorticoids (GCs) play a key role in the physiology of the hypothalamic-somatotroph axis, since these steroids enhance growth hormone (GH) gene transcription and increase GHRH receptor synthesis. However, GC excess inhibits normal growth in all species studied. This is mainly due to the impaired GH secretion observed during hypercortisolism, a situation in which GH responses to a number of stimuli, including GHRH, are blunted. The inhibitory effect of GCs on GH secretion seems to be dependent on enhanced hypothalamic SS secretion. Since SS release is stimulated by beta-adrenergic agonism we tested the possibility that GC inhibition of GH secretion would depend on increased beta-adrenoceptor activity in SS-producing neurons. The experimental design consisted in evaluating the GH response to GHRH in normal subjects after having induced hypercortisolism, with DEX, and blocking beta-adrenoceptors with propranolol (PRO). Moreover, to investigate the specificity of this mechanism, GHRH-induced GH release was tested after inducing hypercortisolism and enhancing alpha 2-adrenergic or muscarinic cholinergic tone, by giving clonidine (CLO) or pyridostigmine (PD), respectively. As expected, nocturnal DEX administration inhibited the GH response to GHRH. In this situation of hypercortisolism, both PRO and CLO, but not PD, were able to reverse the inhibitory effect of DEX on GHRH-elicited release. However, the potentiating effect of these drugs on the GHRH-induced GH secretion was only observed for PRO. These data confirm that GC excess inhibits GH release by increasing hypothalamic SS secretion, and that the mechanism is mediated by GC-induced enhanced beta-adrenergic responsiveness. Therefore, the defective GHRH secretion observed in chronic hypercortisolism must be a consequence of the continuous blockade that SS excess exerts on GHRH-producing neurons. Our postulate agrees with other data in the literature showing that GCs modulate the secretion of some hypothalamic peptides by changing the responsiveness of the producing neurons from alpha 2-adrenoceptors to that of beta-adrenoceptors.