Maintenance Of Sexual Characteristics Research Articles

Sex hormones in Strombus pugilis (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in different gonadal stages

Sex hormones play an essential role in sexual differentiation, maintenance of sexual characteristics, gamete maturation, and mating behavior. However, very little is known about their dynamics in molluscs. We conducted a study on sex hormone (17β-estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone) concentrations in male and female Strombus pugilis to identify their variations at different gonadal stages. A total of 90 organisms (30 per month) were collected in February, September, and November 2016. The gonadal digestive gland complex of each specimen was dissected and divided into two sections. One section was set in alcoholic Bouin's fluid and processed with classic histological techniques; the second was macerated with 80% ethanol to extract steroids and analyzed by enzyme immunoassays. Histological section analysis was used to classify gonadal development into three stages: gametogenesis, mature, and undifferentiated. Mature females were observed in September. Testosterone and 17β-estradiol concentrations in both sexes were highest in the mature stage. In S. pugilis, 17β-estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone were all present, with higher concentrations associated with reproductive activity.

Clinical and Laboratory Parameters of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Analog Treatment Effectiveness in Children with Precocious Puberty

OBJECTIVE:There are no doubts about the clinical benefits of treatment with GnRH analogs for patients diagnosed with central precocious puberty (CPP). However, laboratory monitoring of CPP is still a matter of considerable controversy in the literature. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the cut-off values of stimulated LH that determine gonadotrophic suppression.METHODS:Twenty-four girls, on treatment with leuprorelin acetate (LA) at 3.75 mg IM every 28 days, were studied. The clinical parameters used to indicate clinical effectiveness were regression or maintenance of sexual characteristics according to the Tanner stage, growth velocity reduction, reduction or maintenance of the difference between bone age and chronological age and maintenance or improvement of the final height prediction. For the laboratory effectiveness test, basal estradiol, LH, and FSH levels were collected before and 1 and 2 h after the administration of 3.75 mg LA.RESULTS:Eleven girls showed improvement in all clinical parameters, and their effectiveness tests were compared to those of the other patients to calculate the cut-off values, which were ≤3.64 IU/L (p=0.004*) for LH after 1 h and ≤6.10 IU/L (p<0.001*) for LH after 2 h.CONCLUSION:The LH response after the LA stimulation test, associated with clinical data and within a context of CPP, constitutes a reliable and feasible resource and can assist in monitoring the effectiveness of treatment.