title: Growth hormone / insulin-like growth factor-1 axis during puberty.
abstract: Puberty is a dynamic, transitional period of life which is characterized by the acquisition of secondary sexual characteristics leading to the development of fertility. Puberty is accompanied by sexually dimorphic changes in linear growth, body proportions and body composition. The pubertal growth spurt is influenced by a number of factors such as hormones, nutrition, physical activity and general health, acting mostly in concert in order to modify a genetic potential for growth. Growth hormone (GH) is traditionally considered to be the main regulator of growth. During puberty, elevated sex steroid concentrations (especially oestrogens) stimulate GH production, leading to an activation of the whole GH/Insulinlike growth factor-1 (IGF-1) axis. This activation is mostly characterized by an increase in the amplitude of GH pulses rather than an increase in frequency or in duration. Interactions between GH and sex steroids (especially androgens) express an anabolic effect on muscle mass, bone mineralization and body proportion which constitutes the male and the female adult body composition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Middlesex Hospital (UCLH), London, UK.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Christoforidis
authors.forename: Ilianna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maniadaki
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stanhope
mesh_terms: D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000502:physiology; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000502:physiology*; D020738:Leptin / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D020738:Leptin; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; C051815:somatotropin-binding protein