Abstract
Secretion of both LH and FSH is pulsatile and maximal during the night in early peripubertal boys. To evaluate the pulsatile pattern of bioactive FSH (B-FSH), we assessed serum concentrations of B-FSH in four Tanner Stage I boys with constitutional growth delay (mean age 15y 3m, mean bone age 12y 6m) and compared their data to previously published data from 6 Tanner Stages II-III pubertal boys (Hassing et al, JCEM, 1990, 70:1082). Each of the four boys had a 12 h overnight blood sampling (every 20 min) followed by administration of 1μg/kg nafarelin sc. Serum I-LH and I-FSH were measured by RIA and B-FSH was measured by the rat Sertoli cell aromatase induction assay using hLH-13 and hFSH-13 standards and expressed as ng/ml. The mean serum I-LH, I-FSH and B-FSH were 0.63±0.06, 0.40±0.15 and 1.8±0.2 ng/mL (p<0.05, B vs I FSH). B-FSH pulse frequency was similar to I-LH pulse frequency (0.43±0.1 and 0.43±0.05 pulses/boy/h) and to previously published data in mid pubertal boys. ΔI-LH release was 3.3±0.7, ΔI-FSH was 2.4±0.6 and ΔB-FSH was 4.2±1.4 ng/mL. We conclude that during the peripubertal period in boys, serum B-FSH is secreted in a pulsatile manner and the concentrations exceed those of serum I-LH or I-FSH.
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Kletter, G., Rolfes-Curl, A., Padmanabhan, V. et al. NOCTURNAL BIOACTIVE FSH PULSES ARE EVIDENT IN PRE (PERI) PUBERTAL BOYS. Pediatr Res 33 (Suppl 5), S30 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00161
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00161