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Related Experiment Video

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Determination of Reproductive Competence by Confirming Pubertal Onset and Performing a Fertility Assay in Mice and Rats

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Prepubertal glucocorticoid status and pubertal timing.

Lijie Shi¹, Stefan A Wudy, Anette E Buyken

¹Research Institute of Child Nutrition, Department of Nutrition and Health, Heinstueck 11, 44225, Dortmund, Germany. shi@fke-do.de

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism

|April 1, 2011

Summary

Higher prepubertal glucocorticoid secretion in girls is linked to delayed puberty onset and menarche. This finding suggests a potential impact of early hormone levels on pubertal timing in healthy females.

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Area of Science:

Endocrinology
Pediatric Health
Reproductive Biology

Background:

The relationship between prepubertal glucocorticoid levels and the timing of puberty remains unclear.
Understanding this link is crucial for pediatric health and endocrine research.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the association between prepubertal glucocorticoid status and pubertal markers.
To differentiate this relationship from adrenarchal and nutritional influences.

Main Methods:

A prospective cohort study of 111 healthy Caucasian children (56 boys).
Collected 24-hour urine samples and dietary records 1-2 years before pubertal onset.
Assessed glucocorticoid and androgen metabolites using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and RIA.

Main Results:

In girls, higher overall urinary cortisol (ΣC21) correlated with delayed age at take-off (ATO) and menarche.
Girls in the highest quartile of ΣC21 experienced delayed puberty onset by 0.7-0.9 years compared to the lowest quartile.
No significant association was found between glucocorticoid levels and pubertal timing in boys.

Conclusions:

Elevated prepubertal glucocorticoid secretion, within physiological ranges, appears to delay pubertal timing in healthy girls.
This delay specifically affects the onset of pubertal growth spurt and menarche.
Glucocorticoid status does not seem to influence pubertal timing in boys.