Prepubertal Glucocorticoid Status and Pubertal Timing (original) (raw)
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Sexual dimorphism in cortisol metabolism throughout pubertal development: a longitudinal study
Endocrine Connections, 2020
Objective Sex differences in disease susceptibility might be explained by sexual dimorphism in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, which has been postulated to emerge during puberty. However, studies conducted thus far lacked an assessment of Tanner pubertal stage. This study aimed to assess the contribution of pubertal development to sexual dimorphism in cortisol production and metabolism. Methods Participants (n = 218) were enrolled from a population-based Netherlands Twin Register. At the ages of 9, 12 and 17 years, Tanner pubertal stage was assessed and early morning urine samples were collected. Cortisol metabolites were measured with GC-MS/MS and ratios were calculated, representing cortisol metabolism enzyme activities, such as A-ring reductases, 11β-HSDs and CYP3A4. Cortisol production and metabolism parameters were compared between sexes for pre-pubertal (Tanner stage 1), early pubertal (Tanner stage 2–3) and late-pubertal (Tanner stage 4–5) stages. Results Cortis...
Accelerated pubertal development has been linked to adverse early environments and may heighten subsequent mental and physical health risks. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning has been posited as a mechanism whereby stress may affect pubertal development, but the literature lacks prospective tests of this mechanism. The current study assessed 277 youth (M = 10.84 years, SD = 1.14), 138 boys and 139 girls, who reported on their pubertal development and underwent the Trier Social Stress Test for Children at baseline and returned to the laboratory approximately 1 year later (M = 1.12 years, range = 0.59-1.98 years). For girls, lower cortisol area under the curve (with respect to ground) at Time 1 predicted more advanced pubertal development at Time 2, controlling for Time 1 pubertal development. This association persisted after additional covariates including age, body mass index, race, and maltreatment history were introduced, and was driven by adrenal rather than gonadal development. Cortisol was not linked to boys' subsequent pubertal development, and no interaction by gender or by maltreatment appeared. These results suggest that attenuated cortisol, reported in other studies of children exposed to early adversity, may contribute to accelerated pubertal tempo in girls.
European Journal of Endocrinology, 2012
Background: Pubertal onset is usually defined by breast development in girls and testicular growth in boys. Pubarche is defined as the attainment of pubic hair and is considered as a sign of pubertal transition. Pubarche is preceded by a gradual increase in production of adrenal androgens, DHEA and D4-androstenedione (Adione), a process termed adrenarche. Objective: To study the natural course of pubertal transition and the associations with adrenarche, body fat, and linear growth. Design and methods: A longitudinal study of 179 healthy children (89 girls) with higher socioeconomic background examined every 6 months for 5 years. Pubic hair stage, breast stage, genital stage, testicular volume (TV), height, weight, and four skinfolds were measured. .4) in boys. Only 6.8% (4/59) of the girls and 24.6% (15/61) of the boys developed pubic hair as the first isolated sign of puberty. Serum DHEAS and Adione increased with age, although the increase in Adione was most pronounced in girls. No associations between early age at thelarche/testicular growth and increased body fat (BMI and sum of four skinfolds) were observed. Conclusion: Danish children rarely experience pubarche as the first sign of puberty. No associations between age at pubertal onset and body composition were found. Circulating levels of Adione, but not DHEAS, increased with the onset of puberty, although with large interindividual variability.
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2003
The aim of this study was to analyze the possible implication of changes in the GH/IGF-I axis and in insulin sensitivity for the regulation of adrenal androgen secretion of normal prepubertal and adolescent girls. A total of 61 normal girls were evaluated in prepuberty [Group (Gr)1, n ؍ 33; early (Gr1A, n ؍ 16) and late (Gr1B, n ؍ 17)]; puberty (Gr3, n ؍ 28), early (Gr3A, n ؍ 9) and late (Gr3B, n ؍ 19); and during the transition between prepuberty and puberty (Gr2, n ؍ 26). Insulin sensitivity was estimated by the fasting glucose/insulin ratio (G/I).
The neuroendocrine timing of puberty
Reproduction, 2005
Puberty is the attainment of fertility, a process encompassing morphological, physiological and behavioural development. The increased hypothalamic secretion of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone decapeptide (GnRH) is essential for the activation of the pituitary -gonadal axis at puberty. The GnRH secretory network initially develops and is temporarily active during species-specific periods of fetal/neonatal development, so puberty is the secondary reactivation of an existing system. From a neurobiological perspective, the timing of puberty is therefore a function of changes in the neural systems controlling GnRH release. The large variability between individuals in the onset and progression of puberty indicates that the timing of puberty is not simply a function of chronological age. Rather, the neurotransmitter and neuromodulatory systems that impact upon the GnRH secretory network convey information about metabolic fuels, energy stores and somatic development and, for many species, information about season and social environment. The clear links demonstrated between metabolic fuel availability and reproductive function in many animal models provides evidence that the earlier onset of pubertal development observed in girls in certain US study populations is likely to relate to the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescents. Reproduction (2005) 129 675-683
Endocrine Events Involved in Puberty: A Revisit to Existing Knowledge
Life and Science
Puberty is a multifaceted complex phenomenon, comprised of a series of events, controlled by hormones and other regulatory factors. It is the transition period between childhood and adolescence with key important changes occurring in physical, biological, cognitive, psychological and social spheres of an individual’s life. These changes are not only important in the personal life of an individual but also affect his/her relationship with others in the society. The interaction between the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary is crucial for the onset of puberty. Leptin, secreted by adipocytes, provides the first signal to the hypothalamus that sufficient energy reserves are present to initiate the process of puberty. These signals are followed by a cascade of hormonal changes broadly referred to as adrenarche, gonadarche, and a puberty growth spurt. This is an overview of the current state of knowledge in the hormonal regulation of the events leading to puberty. How to cite this: Aslam...
PloS one, 2015
The longitudinal relationships of within-individual hormone and anthropometric changes during puberty have not ever been fully described. The objectives of this study were to demonstrate that 3 monthly urine collection was feasible in young adolescents and to utilise liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay methods for serum and urine testosterone (T), estradiol (E2) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in adolescents by relating temporal changes in urine and serum hormones over 12 months to standard measures of pubertal development. A community sample of 104 adolescents (57 female) was studied over 12 months with annual anthropometric assessment, blood sampling and self-rated Tanner staging and urine collected every 3 months. Serum and urine sex steroids (T, E2) were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and LH by immunoassay. A high proportion (92%) of scheduled samples were obtained with low attrition rate of 6.7% over the 12 months. Urine horm...
The contribution of adrenal and gonadal androgens to the growth in height of adolescent males
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1986
Gonadal androgens are known to regulate the rate of growth in height during adolescence, particularly in males, but little is known of the role of adrenal androgens in this process. In a prospective multiple regression model we show that both adrenal and gonadal androgens contribute to the increasing rate of growth in height prior to peak height velocity and the decreasing rate of height growth in later adolescence. Since adrenal androgen secretion begins in mid-childhood, long before gonadal maturation and the secretion of testicular androgens, these findings may prove helpful in explaining population variation in adolescent growth.
Endocrinology, Puberty, and Disorders of Pubertal Development
MRI of the Hand and Wrist in Children, 2013
Puberty is driven by sophisticated neuroendocrine networks that timely activate the brain centers governing the reproductive axis. The timing of puberty is genetically determined; yet, puberty is also sensitive to numerous internal and external cues, among which metabolic/nutritional signals are especially prominent. Compelling epidemiological evidence suggests that alterations of the age of puberty are becoming more frequent; the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown, but the escalating prevalence of obesity and other metabolic/feeding disorders is possibly a major contributing factor. This phenomenon may have clinical implications, since alterations in pubertal timing have been associated to adverse health outcomes, including higher risk of earlier all-cause mortality. This urges for a better understanding of the neurohormonal basis of normal puberty and its deviations. Compelling evidence has recently documented the master role of hypothalamic neurons producing kisspeptins, encoded by Kiss1, in the neuroendocrine pathways controlling puberty. Kiss1 neurons seemingly participate in transmitting the regulatory actions of metabolic cues on pubertal maturation. Key cellular metabolic sensors, as the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and the fuel-sensing deacetylase, SIRT1, have been recently shown to participate also in the metabolic modulation of puberty. Recently, we have documented that AMPK and SIRT1 operate as major molecular effectors for the metabolic control of Kiss1 neurons and, thereby, puberty onset. Alterations of these molecular pathways may contribute to the perturbation of pubertal timing linked to conditions of metabolic stress in humans, such as subnutrition or obesity and might become druggable targets for better management of pubertal disorders. The neurobiological basis of puberty in mammals Puberty is a complex maturational phenomenon that drives the individual from an immature to a fully mature stage, when the capacity to reproduce is achieved. While the multifaceted nature of puberty involves a variety of developmental changes, from psychological to somatic, a hallmark of puberty is the complete activation
Impact of Pubertal Maturation and Chronologic Age on Sex Steroids in Peripubertal Girls
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2019
ORCiD numbers: 0000-0003-4649-6307 (F. M. Biro). Context: There is a 4-to 5-year variation in age of breast maturation in girls. Objective: To examine longitudinal changes in sex hormone values relative to chronologic age and time relative to breast maturation. Setting and Design: Longitudinal observational study into which girls were recruited at 6 to 7 years of age and followed up every 6 months. Main Outcome Measures: Maturation status, chronologic age, race, and fasting blood specimen data were obtained. Hormones were analyzed at 6-month intervals between 2 years before and 1 year after breast maturation, using HPLC tandem mass spectroscopy. Results: Estradiol and estrone levels correlated with chronologic age (R 5 0.350 and 0.444, respectively); time was correlated relative to breast maturation (R 5 0.222 and 0.323, respectively; all correlations, P , 0.0001). In generalized estimating equation (GEE) models, chronologic age and time relative to pubertal onset were significantly associated with serum estradiol, with similar results for estrone. Local estimated scatterplot smoothing for estradiol and estrone, by chronologic age, demonstrated differences between black and white girls, especially between 8.5 and 11 years of age, but not by race in time relative to breast maturation. Testosterone level was correlated to chronologic age (R 5 0.362) and time relative to breast maturation (R 5 0.259); in the GEE model, only chronologic age was significant. Conclusion: Chronologic age as well as time relative to onset of puberty provided unique information regarding estradiol and estrone concentrations in peripubertal girls. Serum estrogen concentrations should be evaluated with reference to chronologic age and race.