Prepubertal Testosterone Research Articles

Do prepubertal hormones, 2D:4D index and psychosocial context jointly explain 11-year-old preadolescents’ involvement in bullying?

BackgroundBullying is a type of aggressive behavior that occurs repeatedly and intentionally in school environments and where there is a power imbalance. The main objective of this study was to analyze the association that hormones and the psychosocial context jointly have with bullying behavior. MethodParticipants were 302 11-year-old preadolescents from the Gipuzkoan cohort of the INMA Project. Bullying was assessed using the Olweus Bully/victim Questionnaire. Prenatal sexual hormones were assessed by calculating 2D:4D ratio and in order to measure prepubertal testosterone and cortisol levels saliva samples were collected within a week of each other. Additionally, various psychosocial factors were evaluated: executive function, family context, school environment and social context. To analyze our complex hypothesis, six metamodels were tested using structural equation modeling. ResultsIn relation to victims, results showed that victimization was related to worse school environment’ perception in boys, and higher stress and conflict in the family in girls. In the case of their involvement in bullying as a bully, lower salivary cortisol levels, worse school environment’ perception and lower peers and social support was related to being more frequently involved as a bully in boys, while having more family stress and conflict was related with being a bully in girls. ConclusionsThis approach makes it possible not only to explore the different biological and psychosocial factors affect bullying behavior, but also to explore associations between the predictor variables.

Prepubertal Serum Testosterone Concentration In Vembur Rams At Different Rearing System

The present investigation was carried out to study the prepubertal testosterone pattern and age at puberty in Vembur rams reared under farm and farmers field condition. A total number of 8 Vembur ram lambs each from farm and farmers field were selected. The measurement of testosterone was performed by Radioimmunoassay (RIA). The serum testosterone level from 6th to 20th month of age ranged from 0.132 ± 0.04 to 3.823 ng/ml in semi intensively maintained farm males and 0.138±0.04 to 3.456±0.17 ng/ml in animals maintained at farmer’s holdings. The serum testosterone levels were crossing the concentration of 2.5 ng/ml at the age of 17 to 18th weeks and successful mounting, intromission and ejaculation were noticed after this age.

Genetic Polymorphisms Related to Testosterone Metabolism in Intellectually Gifted Boys

Prepubertal testosterone levels are lower in intellectually gifted boys. The aim of this pilot study was to analyze potential genetic factors related to testosterone metabolism in control and gifted boys. Intellectually gifted (IQ>130; n = 95) and control (n = 67) boys were genotyped. Polymorphisms of interests were chosen in genes including androgen and estrogen receptors, 5-alpha reductase, aromatase and sex hormone binding globulin. Significant differences between control and gifted boys in genotype distributions were found for ESR2 (rs928554) and SHBG (rs1799941). A significantly lower number of CAG repeats in the AR gene were found in gifted boys. Our results support the role of genetic factors related to testosterone metabolism in intellectual giftedness. Increased androgen signaling might explain previous results of lower testosterone levels in intellectually gifted boys and add to the understanding of variability in cognitive abilities.

Pathological Fracture

HISTORY K.B. is a 13 year-old male with a 6 week history of right knee pain. The pain was progressively worsening and caused him intermittently to limp. The pain was reported as 4/10, with increase during jumping. He denied any mechanical instability. No swelling, erythema or warmth of the knee. There were no constitutional symptoms including no fever, weight loss, rash or night sweats. He had no previous pain in this knee. The patient was not participating in any organized sports other then PE in school. He could not recall any specific event or trauma. The symptoms improved by nonweight bearing and occasionally NSAIDs but did not resolve. The past medical and family histories were normal. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION Obese with BMI >97% with marked gynecomastia, normal testis, Tanner 3 pubic hair and a feminine appearing facies. Weight bearing without limp. Genu valgum bilaterally; VMO decreased tone and bulk right >left; tenderness at medial and lateral femoral condyles, otherwise unremarkable. Hip: ROM normal, tight hamstring with popliteal angle of 95, single leg squat positive for Trendelenburg, 5 hop test abnormal weak with pain on right leg. Foot: Dynamic pes planus with calcaneo valgus bilaterally. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS Patellofemoral Dysfunction Distal femoral inflammatory process TEST AND RESULTS Plain radiographs: Osteogenic destructive lesion in the medullary cavity of right distal femur with soft tissue swelling and periosteal new bone formation - consistent with osteogenic sarcoma. CT Chest: Normal MRI of right femur: Nondisplaced fracture of right distal femoral diamethaphysis with no soft tissue mass. Edema of distal femur. Consistent with a post traumatic or pathological fracture; unlikely osteosarcoma. Bone Scan: Right distal femoral abnormality, otherwise normal. Dexa Scan: Bone Mineral Density osteopenia of lumbar spine; normal of total body and proximal femur. Laboratory: CBC, BMP, Mg, Pho, Ca, Liver Panel - WNL TSH - WNL LH, FSH - prepubertal Testosterone, PTH, Estradiol, IGF-1, Cortisol - pending CONSULT Orthopedic specialized in musculoskeletal tumor: Pathological fracture FINAL WORKING DIAGNOSIS Pathological fracture of distal femur of unknown origin TREATMENT AND OUTCOMES Non-weight bearing with crutches until completely pain free gait, then weight bearing as tolerated Home exercise program for VMO and core muscle (gluteus) strengthening and hamstring stretching No physical activity until good bony healing achieved Orthotics Follow up visit showed improved symptoms, will obtain radiographs at next visit Complete further workup for etiology of pathological fracture and possible endocrine disorder

Prepubertal testosterone treatment of female rats: Defeminization of behavioral and endocrine function in adulthood

This study assesed the capacity of testosterone (T) administered well after the neonatal “critical” period to permanently sexually differentiate reproductive function. Females received T filled or empty Silastic capsules during days 15–30 of age and vaginal cyclicity, ovarian weight and. appearance, lordosis and proceptive behaviors, mounting behavior, and the gonadotropin response to estrogen and progesterone were measured in adulthood. T-treated females (plasma levels of 0.66 ng T/ml) showed constant vaginal estrus from the day of vaginal opening and small, polyfollicular ovaries. Proceptive behaviors were dramatically reduced whether or not the ovaries were present after day 15 of age, but lordosis behavior was not affected. Exposure to T for 5–6 h was ineffective. Compared to controls, T-treated females had dramatically reduced plasma FSH and LH surges. No effects were observed on mounting behavior, phallus size, or body weights. These results suggest that androgen at approximately male levels can act on neural substrates well beyond the neonatal period to permanently defeminize endocrine and behavioral function in the female rat.

Prepubertal testosterone treatment of neonatally gonadectomized male rats: Defeminization and masculinization of behavioral and endocrine function in adulthood

Testosterone (T) administered well after the neonatal “critical” period to females at a dose approximating male levels permanently defeminizes reproductive function (see companion publication.) To obtain comparable data for the male, neonatally gonadectomized (NeoGx) males received T filled or empty Silastic capsules during days 15–30 of age and were studied in adulthood. Compared to controls, the T treatment resulted in reduced lordosis and proceptive behaviors, increased mounting and intronussion behaviors without differences in penile reflexes or size, and reduced plasma FSH and LH surges. Twenty of twenty-three sham-NeoGx males, but only one NeoGx male, showed ejaculatory behavior despite equivalence in penile reflexes and size after detaching a frenulum when present on the penis. These results show that T can still act on neural substrates well beyond the neonatal period to defeminize and masculinize endocrine and behavioral function in the male rat. A comparison with effects in females indicates a sex difference, the male appearing to be more sensitive to these actions of T.

8 LONG-ACTING GnRH ANALOG (GnRHa) IN THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF MALE SEXUAL PRECOCITY

GnRHa are potent inhibitors of LH and FSH release used in treatment of true precocious puberty (TPP). In 8 boys (ages 1y5m - 8y11m)with sexual precocity and advanced bone age we compared the pattern of gonadotropin response to the acute GnRH test (100 ug, iv) and the testosterone levels 30 days after administration of GnRHa(D-Trp6-GnRH 3 mg im or Goserelin 3.6mg sc). LH and FSH were measured by RIA or IFMA, and testosterone by RIA. All patients with TPP, but none with pseudo precocious puberty, had a pubertal LH rise on the acute GnRH test and prepubertal testosterone levels 30 days after GnRHa. However, one patient with a Leydig cell tumor had a partial decrease in testosterone levels. We conclude that prepubertal testosterone levels 30 days after administration of GnRHa is useful to confirm the diagnosis of TPP.

Pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone treatment in idiopathic delayed puberty.

Idiopathic delayed male puberty is defined as a delay of puberty beyond the age of 16, with prepubertal testosterone levels, normal gonadotropin responses to GnRH (excluding pituitary failure), and normal androgen responses to a single hCG injection (excluding testicular Leydig cell dysfunction), in absence of serious disease. Ten boys with this condition were evaluated as to their spontaneous LH, FSH, and PRL secretory patterns during a 24-h sampling period (20-min intervals). After this all patients were treated with pulsatile infusions of GnRH (25 ng/kg . pulse every 90 min for 10 days. Two groups could be distinguished by means of their pretreatment LH secretory pattern. Five patients had nighttime pulsatile elevation of LH levels, as usually occurs in early puberty. The other five patients did not have such a pattern (prepubertal type). The GnRH treatment resulted in increased LH and testosterone levels in both groups. All patients with pretreatment nighttime pulsatile LH secretion had steady pubertal development during the post-GnRH treatment observation period, whereas the other patients did not. In conclusion, among a number of tests, including chronic pulsatile GnRH treatment for 10 days, only the nocturnal LH secretory pattern differentiated delayed puberty from permanent hypothalamic hypogonadism in boys.

Primary hypothyroidism of childhood: evaluation of the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis before and during L-thyroxine replacement.

Hypothyroidism is frequently associated with abnormal sexual development. To determine the longitudinal influence of thyroxine replacement on the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis, we studied five prepubertal hypothyroid girls and two boys before, and all the girls six weeks and one year after, thyroxine replacement. All girls showed significantly elevated basal gonadotrophin concentrations before treatment. Following one year of therapy, despite all girls having begun puberty, basal gonadotrophin concentrations were significantly decreased in the four euthyroid girls as compared with our normal pubertal girls. The fifth girl studied at one year was hypothyroid at the time of testing and her gonadotrophin values were increased even above previous basal values. Pretreatment serum TSH values inversely correlated with maximum pretreatment incremental LH (r = -0.54) and FSH (r = -0.52) responses to LHRH. Serum TSH values directly correlated with PRL concentrations (r = +0.82). Of the two hypothyroid boys evaluated, Patient 1 was mildly hypothyroid and showed normal prepubertal basal LH, FSH, testosterone and low normal LHRH responsiveness. Patient 2, who was more severely hypothyroid, had elevated basal gonadotrophin secretion and responsiveness to LHRH but prepubertal testosterone concentrations. These data indirectly show that thyroxine may increase the biological/immunological potency of gonadotrophins. The elevated gonadotrophin values in the hypothyroid state suggest that the metabolic clearance rate of gonadotrophins is prolonged. The more severe the elevation in TSH secretion, the more marked was the alteration in the hypothalamic pituitary axis in respect to PRL secretion and delta max LH and FSH response to LHRH. Replacement with thyroxine was followed by normal pubertal development, and normal pubertal oestradiol and PRL concentrations, despite low immunoreactive gonadotrophin secretion.