Suppression of urinary and plasma follicle-stimulating hormone by exogenous estrogens in prepubertal and pubertal children
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.The sensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary "gonadostat" decreases at puberty onset. Estrogen administration suppressed gonadotropin excretion in prepubertal children but less so in pubertal children, indicating reduced sensitivity during puberty.
Area Of Science
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Reproductive Endocrinology
- Neuroendocrinology
Background
- Clomiphene citrate, an anti-estrogen, inhibits gonadotropin excretion in children.
- Data suggest a decreased sensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary "gonadostat" at puberty onset.
- This study investigates the sensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis to estrogen in children.
Purpose Of The Study
- To test the hypothesis that hypothalamic-pituitary gonadostat sensitivity decreases at puberty onset.
- To evaluate the effect of ethinyl estradiol (EE) on gonadotropin excretion in prepubertal and pubertal children.
- To assess the responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis to estrogen in different pubertal stages.
Main Methods
- 19 children (5 short normals, 14 with isolated HGH deficiency) received ethinyl estradiol (EE) daily.
- Urinary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) excretion were measured.
- Plasma and urinary gonadotropins and plasma estrogens were serially determined in two prepubertal females treated with estradiol benzoate.
Main Results
- EE doses >5 mug/m(2)/day suppressed urinary gonadotropins to undetectable levels in 8 prepubertal subjects.
- In early to midpubertal subjects, EE produced only slight suppression of urinary FSH.
- Late pubertal subjects (stage 4) did not suppress urinary FSH with EE administration.
- Estradiol benzoate treatment suppressed plasma and urinary FSH in prepubertal females.
Conclusions
- The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is functional in prepubertal children.
- Hypothalamic-pituitary sensitivity to estrogen decreases significantly at the onset of puberty in humans.
- This decreased sensitivity impacts the regulation of FSH and LH secretion during pubertal development.