Abstract
Data from rodent studies and the presence of phallic underdevelopment in some boys with isolated hGH deficiency suggest a role for somatotropin in gonadal sex steroid production. To assess this possibility, testosterone (T), estrone (E1), and estradiol (E2) were measured following 2 days of hCG before, during and after 1 yr of treatment with hGH in 14 patients with hGH deficiency. Gonadotropin excretion remained normal for prepubertal children in all individuals throughout the protocol. Four boys exhibited consistently poor T responses to hCG (poor responders) while the data in 5 patients (responders) reflect either the effect of repeated short courses of hCG or a synergistic action of hGH at testicular level. In 5 girls, only small E2 increments were elicited by hCG but E1 levels increased significantly and revealed an hGH-mediated effect. The X ± SEM for T (ng/dl) in boys and E1 (pg/ml) in girls at 72 hr post hCG is shown below. An asterisk indicates significance (p<.05) compared to basal tests.
Conclusion: hGH may increase gonadal responsivity to hCG in man but it does not promote increased T in those hypopituitary boys (with normal gonadotropins) who have reduced Leydig cell reserve.
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Kulin, H., Samoilik, E., Santner, S. et al. 423 THE EFFECT OF GROWTH HORMONE (hGH) ON THE GONADAL RE-SPONSE TO CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN (hCG) IN HYPOPITUITARISM. Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 510 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-00434
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-00434