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The use of β‐agonists as growth‐promoting agents in cattle could lead to toxic side‐effects in man. One such effect is the accumulation of polyamines which seem to be implicated in muscle and heart hypertrophy. We have studied the induction of cardiac hypertrophy after treatment with clenbuterol and the role of polyamines in this effect.

Treatment of mice with repeated doses of clenbuterol, a specific β‐adrenergic agonist, resulted in a marked increase in heart muscle weight whereas total body weight did not change significantly. Clenbuterol‐linked cardiac hypertrophy could be prevented by coadministration of either the non‐specific β‐adrenergic antagonist, propranolol, or the irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, α‐difluoromethylornithine. The clenbuterol‐induced cardiac hypertrophy was associated with a corresponding increase in the level of the polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine …