Puberty onset is initiated by activation of neurons that secrete gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). The timing and progression of puberty may depend upon temporal coordination of two opposing central mechanisms--a restraint of GnRH secretion before puberty onset, followed by enhanced stimulation of GnRH release to complete reproductive maturation during puberty. Neuronal estrogen receptor α...

The mechanisms that control the onset of puberty remain within the purview of the neurobiologists who first recognised the concept of removal of a restraint factor to permit reawakening of puberty. The discovery of a ligand-activated G protein receptor-signalling pathway upstream of the GnRH pulse generator adds further weight to the role of the hypothalamus in the central regulation of puberty...

BACKGROUND James Tanner's landmark publication, Growth at Adolescence, was not only the first and most comprehensive treatise on the subject of human pubertal development of its time, its core insights have held up remarkably well over time. REVIEW This review connects Tanner's contributions to contemporary understanding of puberty as a process fundamentally driven by neuroendocrine maturatio...

During puberty, the production rate of growth hormone (GH) doubles and is associated with an increase in growth velocity. A significant percentage of the final adult height is attained during puberty, then after puberty, the production rate of GH decreases with age. In children with GH deficiency, it is known that the dosage of GH, in addition to the duration of treatment, can greatly influence...

conclusions the inhibition of mini-puberty period in male rats was demonstrated to have an effect on their testicular function to some extent. results serum t and lh levels peaked at two hours after birth, while fsh peaked at hour 0, and bilateral testicular weight peaked at four hours after birth. the rats that underwent ether inhalation five minutes after birth had markedly reduced serum horm...

Many scientific studies have revealed a trend towards an earlier onset of puberty and have disclosed an increasing number of children that display precocious puberty. As an explanation, some authors have considered the global socio-economic improvement across different populations, and other authors have considered the action of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Among these, bisphenol A (B...

Background: Adolescence is a critical stage of growth and development. That is associated with changes in body shape and appearance. Issues such as irregular menstrual periods, amenorrhea, and menstrual cycle are major issues in women's health. The purpose of this study was to examine the determinants of physical puberty health based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) among female adolescents. Me...

The presumptive diagnosis of constitutional delayed adolescence is difficult to substantiate. Clinical examination and routine biochemical testing are not sufficient to exclude isolated gonadotrophin deficiency. Seven males are reported who presented with delayed puberty. These patients were given 100 [±g luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) intravenously, and the luteinizing hormone (...

In primates, puberty is unleashed by increased GnRH release from the hypothalamus following an interval of juvenile quiescence. GWAS implicates Zinc finger (ZNF) genes in timing human puberty. Here we show that hypothalamic expression of several ZNFs decreased in agonadal male monkeys in association with the pubertal reactivation of gonadotropin secretion. Expression of two of these ZNFs, GATAD...

During the past decades, advancement in pubertal maturation in children has been noticed worldwide. Growing evidence indicates that increasing prevalence of obesity in children is a major factor for the secular trend of earlier puberty. In girls, several epidemiologic studies suggest that earlier pubertal onset and earlier menarche might be caused by obesity. On the other hand, in boys, few res...