Twenty-four-Hour Patterns of Luteinizing Hormone Secretion in Humans: Ontogenetic and Sexual Considerations

Abstract

This chapter discusses the 24-hr patterns of luteinizing hormone secretion in humans. Much progress is made in recent years in understanding factors controlling gonadotropin secretion in humans. This progress is made possible primarily by three technical advances: (1) the development of sensitive and specific assays for LH (luteinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), especially radio immunoassay; (2) frequent blood sampling by techniques that interfere as little as possible with the subject's waking and sleeping activity; and (3) polygraphic recording of the EEG (electroencephalogram), EOG (electrooculogram), and EMG (electromyogram) during sleep so that sleep onset and offset can be precisely determined and correlations can be made with sleep stages. Using the methods enumerated in the foregoing paragraph, we will describe findings from this laboratory which deal with 24-hr LH secretory patterns in men and women from childhood to adulthood. The twenty-four-hour patterns of LH (luteinizing hormone) secretion are characterized by major changes with ontogenetic development and by marked gender differences. Thus, sleeping activity is distinguished during puberty by an augmentation of LH secretion while, conversely, LH secretion decreases during the sleep of adult women. Adult men do not show such sleep-related changes in LH secretion.