title: Alcohol's effects on female puberty: the role of insulin-like growth factor 1.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Les Dees
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hiney
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Srivastava
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000502:physiology*; D011627:Puberty / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I