help button home button Endocrine Society JCEM JCEM Call for Nominations for EIC
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS

This Article
Right arrow Submit a related Letter to the Editor
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Copyright Permission
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bercu, B. B.
Right arrow Articles by Brown, T. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bercu, B. B.
Right arrow Articles by Brown, T. J.

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 56, 1227-1235, Copyright © 1983 by Endocrine Society


ARTICLES

Male sexual development in the monkey. II. Cross-sectional analysis of pulsatile hypothalamic-pituitary secretion in castrated males

BB Bercu, BC Lee, BE Spiliotis, JL Pineda, DW Denman 3d, HJ Hoffman and TJ Brown

Pulsatile secretion of serum gonadotropins was studied in 16 castrated monkeys from 4 weeks of age through adult life. Animals were castrated at various ages from birth through adult life. Although some studies of the gonadotropin-secretory patterns were longitudinal in nature, most comparisons were cross-sectional. On the basis of our observations, we have arbitrarily grouped the animals into 4 developmental ages: postnatal (less than 7 months), prepubertal or juvenile (7-27 months), pubertal (28-59 months), and adult (greater than or equal to 60 months). In carrying out these studies, blood was withdrawn at 15-min intervals over 24 h without anesthesia using a mobile vest and tether assembly to support an indwelling catheter. GnRH challenge tests were done on 1 or more occasions on all animals. Plasma samples were analyzed for concentrations of FSH and LH by established RIAs and an in vitro bioassay for LH. During the frequent sampling period (24 h for all except postnatal animals), the amplitude of gonadotropin pulses was greatest in adult animals followed by postnatal and pubertal monkeys. During pubertal development, there was a marked increase in the magnitude of gonadotropin pulses, and remarkedly, there was a substantial increase in the LH bioassay: RIA (greater than 5:1) by adult life. GnRH challenge tests of gonadotropins correlated with these observations. Time series analysis was applied to the data for objective statistical characterization of cyclic patterns. Our findings can be summarized: 1) during pubertal maturation there is a change in amplitude but not frequency of gonadotropin pulses, 2) pubertal development of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis advances in the absence of gonadal feedback, and 3) there is a significant increase in the LH bioassay: RIA during pubertal development. We conclude that the castrate monkey is a valuable adjunct to direct clinical investigations of the mechanisms controlling human sexual development.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
EndocrinologyHome page
K. J. Suter, C. R. Pohl, and T. M. Plant
The Pattern and Tempo of the Pubertal Reaugmentation of Open-Loop Pulsatile Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Release Assessed Indirectly in the Male Rhesus Monkey (Macaca mulatta)
Endocrinology, June 1, 1998; 139(6): 2774 - 2783.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Endocrinology Endocrine Reviews J. Clin. End. & Metab.
Molecular Endocrinology Recent Prog. Horm. Res. All Endocrine Journals
Copyright © 1983 by The Endocrine Society