Arginine hydrochloride

( ARTG ) INDICATIONS AS AT 01 JAN 1991 : Arginine stimulates the release of growth hormone by the pituitary gland and may be used instead of , or in addition to, other tests such as insulin-induced hypoglycaemia, for the evaluation of growth disor‍​‍‍‍​‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍​‍ders; false positive and false negative results are relatively common and evaluation therefore should not be made on the basis of a single arginine test. Arginine is used as an acidifying agent in severe metabolic alkalosis. Arginine is used in some conditions accompanied by hyperammonaemia stemming from inborn errors of the urea cycle, particularly where there is a severe deficiency of ornithine carbamoyl transferase or carbamoyl phosphate synthetase where respiratory alkalosis is present.