| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Original Article |
Endocrinology Unit (L.I., A.F., F.R.-H.), Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, 08950 Barcelona, Spain; Hormonal Laboratory (N.P.), Hospital Materno-Infantil Vall dHebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; Endocrinology Unit (M.V.M.), Consorci Hospitalari de Terrassa, 08227 Terrassa, Spain; and Department of Pediatrics (F.d.Z.), University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Lourdes Ibáñez, M.D., Ph.D., Endocrinology Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Sant Joan de Déu, 2, 08950 Esplugues, Barcelona, Spain. E-mail: libanez{at}hsjdbcn.org.
Abstract
Adolescent girls born small for gestational age (SGA) are at risk for anovulation, hyperinsulinism, subclinical hyperandrogenism, dyslipidemia, and central adiposity. Hyperinsulinemic insulin resistance has been proposed as a key pathogenetic factor underpinning these associations.
We have tested this hypothesis in an intervention study by assessing the effects of insulin sensitization (metformin treatment, 850 mg/d for 3 months) in eumenorrheic, nonobese, anovulatory SGA adolescents [n = 13; mean birth weight, 2.3 kg; age, 15 yr; body mass index (BMI), 20.5 kg/m2;
3 yr post-menarche] who were in a steady state (over
6 months) for BMI, hyperinsulinism, subclinical hyperandrogenism, and dyslipidemia, and who presented a deficit of lean body mass and an excess of (truncal and abdominal) fat mass.
Metformin treatment was accompanied by a drop in fasting insulin and serum androgens and by a less atherogenic lipid profile (all P
0.01). After 3 months on metformin, all identified aberrations in body composition were attenuated, the most marked changes (P < 0.0001) being a reduction of the excess in abdominal fat and of the deficit in lean body mass; BMI remained unaltered. Finally, 6 of 13 girls became ovulatory after about 6 wk on metformin, and 9 of 13 (69%) ovulated within 11 wk on metformin.
In conclusion, these observations corroborate the notion that anovulation, an excess of abdominal fat mass, and a deficit of lean mass in nonobese SGA adolescents are essentially underpinned by hyperinsulinemic insulin resistance, and that sensitization to insulin is an effective approach to correct these abnormalities and, conceivably, to prevent them.
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
D. S. Gardner, S. E. Ozanne, and K. D. Sinclair Effect of the early-life nutritional environment on fecundity and fertility of mammals Phil Trans R Soc B, November 27, 2009; 364(1534): 3419 - 3427. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. Allvin, C. Ankarberg-Lindgren, H. Fors, and J. Dahlgren Elevated Serum Levels of Estradiol, Dihydrotestosterone, and Inhibin B in Adult Males Born Small for Gestational Age J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., April 1, 2008; 93(4): 1464 - 1469. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. K Ong, F. de Zegher, A. Lopez-Bermejo, D. B Dunger, and L. Ibanez Flutamide metformin for post-menarcheal girls with preclinical ovarian androgen excess: evidence for differential response by androgen receptor genotype Eur. J. Endocrinol., November 1, 2007; 157(5): 661 - 668. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. Vigil, P. Contreras, J. L. Alvarado, A. Godoy, A. M. Salgado, and M. E. Cortes Evidence of subpopulations with different levels of insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome Hum. Reprod., November 1, 2007; 22(11): 2974 - 2980. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. Saenger, P. Czernichow, I. Hughes, and E. O. Reiter Small for Gestational Age: Short Stature and Beyond Endocr. Rev., April 1, 2007; 28(2): 219 - 251. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. E. Clayton, S. Cianfarani, P. Czernichow, G. Johannsson, R. Rapaport, and A. Rogol Management of the Child Born Small for Gestational Age through to Adulthood: A Consensus Statement of the International Societies of Pediatric Endocrinology and the Growth Hormone Research Society J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., March 1, 2007; 92(3): 804 - 810. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. Sir-Petermann, E. Codner, M. Maliqueo, B. Echiburu, C. Hitschfeld, N. Crisosto, F. Perez-Bravo, S. E. Recabarren, and F. Cassorla Increased Anti-Mullerian Hormone Serum Concentrations in Prepubertal Daughters of Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., August 1, 2006; 91(8): 3105 - 3109. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. Bridger, S. MacDonald, F. Baltzer, and C. Rodd Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Metformin for Adolescents With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, March 1, 2006; 160(3): 241 - 246. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Ibanez, A. M. Jaramillo, A. Ferrer, and F. de Zegher High neutrophil count in girls and women with hyperinsulinaemic hyperandrogenism: normalization with metformin and flutamide overcomes the aggravation by oral contraception Hum. Reprod., September 1, 2005; 20(9): 2457 - 2462. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. Steckler, J. Wang, F. F. Bartol, S. K. Roy, and V. Padmanabhan Fetal Programming: Prenatal Testosterone Treatment Causes Intrauterine Growth Retardation, Reduces Ovarian Reserve and Increases Ovarian Follicular Recruitment Endocrinology, July 1, 2005; 146(7): 3185 - 3193. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Ibanez, C. Valls, M. V. Marcos, K. Ong, D. B. Dunger, and F. de Zegher Insulin Sensitization for Girls with Precocious Pubarche and with Risk for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Effects of Prepubertal Initiation and Postpubertal Discontinuation of Metformin Treatment J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2004; 89(9): 4331 - 4337. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. K. Ong, N. Potau, C. J. Petry, R. Jones, A. R. Ness, J. W. Honour, F. de Zegher, L. Ibanez, and D. B. Dunger Opposing Influences of Prenatal and Postnatal Weight Gain on Adrenarche in Normal Boys and Girls J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2004; 89(6): 2647 - 2651. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. J. Norman, M. Noakes, R. Wu, M. J. Davies, L. Moran, and J. X. Wang Improving reproductive performance in overweight/obese women with effective weight management Hum. Reprod. Update, May 1, 2004; 10(3): 267 - 280. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Ibanez and F. de Zegher Ethinylestradiol-Drospirenone, Flutamide-Metformin, or Both for Adolescents and Women with Hyperinsulinemic Hyperandrogenism: Opposite Effects on Adipocytokines and Body Adiposity J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., April 1, 2004; 89(4): 1592 - 1597. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Ibanez and F. de Zegher Flutamide-Metformin Therapy to Reduce Fat Mass in Hyperinsulinemic Ovarian Hyperandrogenism: Effects in Adolescents and in Women on Third-Generation Oral Contraception J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2003; 88(10): 4720 - 4724. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. B. Johnston, J. Dahlgren, J. Leger, L. Gelander, M. O. Savage, P. Czernichow, K. A. Wikland, and A. J. L. Clark Association between Insulin-Like Growth Factor I (IGF-I) Polymorphisms, Circulating IGF-I, and Pre- and Postnatal Growth in Two European Small for Gestational Age Populations J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2003; 88(10): 4805 - 4810. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Ibanez, N. Potau, G. Enriquez, M. V. Marcos, and F. d. Zegher Hypergonadotrophinaemia with reduced uterine and ovarian size in women born small-for-gestational-age Hum. Reprod., August 1, 2003; 18(8): 1565 - 1569. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Ibanez, K. Ong, A. Ferrer, R. Amin, D. Dunger, and F. de Zegher Low-Dose Flutamide-Metformin Therapy Reverses Insulin Resistance and Reduces Fat Mass in Nonobese Adolescents with Ovarian Hyperandrogenism J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2003; 88(6): 2600 - 2606. [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 |