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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Construction of Vapor Chambers Used to Expose Mice to Alcohol During the Equivalent of all Three Trimesters of Human Development
Published on: July 13, 2014
Alcohol's effects on female puberty: the role of insulin-like growth factor 1
W Les Dees1, J K Hiney, V Srivastava
1Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
Abstract:
Research suggests that alcohol consumption during early adolescence may delay the onset of female puberty. Alcohol's effect on sexual development is associated with altered function of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). This hormone, which is produced in the liver, travels through the bloodstream to the brain, where it helps coordinate overall physical growth with the maturation of the reproductive system. Long-term alcohol consumption inhibits the production of IGF-1 in the liver. Short-term alcohol administration alters IGF-1 function within the brain, ultimately suppressing the release of specific reproductive hormones that initiate puberty. Large proportions of young girls develop drinking habits that place them at risk for alcohol-related endocrine disorders at a crucial time in female pubertal development.
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