title: Suppression of the pituitary-gonadal axis in children with central precocious puberty: effects on growth, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I, and prolactin secretion.
abstract: To assess further the relationship between gonadal sex steroids and PRL, GH, and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) secretion and to help clarify the mechanism underlying the pubertal growth spurt, we studied 11 children (10 girls) with central precocious puberty before and during gonadal suppression with the GnRH agonist (GnRH-a) leuprolide acetate. Nocturnal sampling for plasma levels of GH and PRL, GH response to GH-releasing factor-(1-44), and plasma IGF-I levels were determined before and 3-6 months after pituitary-gonadal suppression. Treatment caused a significant decrease in the LH and FSH responses to GnRH (P less than 0.01) and the plasma concentration of estradiol (P less than 0.05). The patients' mean height velocity SD score for chronological age, initially 3.8 +/- 1.9, decreased significantly to 0.9 +/- 0.9 with treatment (P less than 0.005). Nocturnal GH secretion (mean GH concentration, sum of GH pulse areas, sum of GH pulse amplitudes, and GH pulse frequency) and mean IGF-I levels (1.38 +/- 0.6 vs. 1.72 +/- 0.34 U/mL) were not significantly altered by treatment. However, the mean peak GH response to GH-releasing factor-(1-44) was 29.2 +/- 6.8 micrograms/L before treatment and declined significantly to 17.7 +/- 3.4 micrograms/L after gonadal suppression (P less than 0.05). PRL secretion was similar before and after GnRH-a-induced suppression. These results indicate that the decrease in height velocity noted during GnRH-a treatment occurred independently of changes in nocturnal GH secretion and IGF-I levels. These data are consistent with the premise that sex steroids can modulate growth by a direct action on skeletal growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Sklar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rothenberg
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blumberg
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Oberfield
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: David
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006066:Gonads / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D016729:Leuprolide; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D004958:Estradiol; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D013006:Growth Hormone; D016729:Leuprolide