In order to quantitate the chronological change in circulating dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS) levels during the period of sexual maturation, serum DHEA and DS concentration (3-5 PM) in 76 boys and 65 girls (ages 8 to 15) as well as in adult male and female subjects were measured by a specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay technique. Our data show a progressive and parallel increase in serum DHEA and DS concentrations in boys, and adult male levels were reached earlier for DHEA (age 13) than for DS (age 14). From age 8 to adult male, there was a 2.6-fold increase in DHEA (1.52 plus or minus 0.16 ng/ml to 3.91 lus or minus 0.34 ng/ml) and a 7.7-fold increase in DS (0.40 plus or minus 0.08 mug/ml to 3.09 plus or minus 0.36 mug/ml). The rise of DHEA and DS was not in a parallel fashion in girls; while DS rose progressively, DHEA showed an abrupt increase between 11 and 12 yr of age. Adult female range was reached by age 12 for DHEA and by age 15 for DS. From age 8 to adultfemale there was a 2.3-fold increase in DHEA (1.93 plus or minus 0.19 ng/ml to 4.49 plus or minus 0.76 ng/ml) and a 7.5-fold increase in DS (0.29 PLUS OR MINUS 0.05 MUg/ml to 2.17 plus or minus 0.34 mug/ml). The role of increased adrenal androgens inthe sexual development during early stages of puberty is discussed.
Because we previously found increased basal serum cortisol levels in women runners, we examined adrenocortical function in amenorrheic running women (AR), eumenorrheic running women (R), and normal nonexercising women (NC) in further detail. Mean 24-h urinary cortisol levels were significantly elevated (P less than 0.001) in six AR [45.1 +/- 7.2 (+/- SEM) micrograms/24 h] and eight R (38.5 +/- 6.9 micrograms/24 h) compared to four NC (13.9 +/- 2.8 micrograms/24 h). After adrenal suppression with 2 mg dexamethasone, integrated responses and absolute maximal elevations in serum cortisol levels in response to 10 micrograms/m2 exogenous ACTH (1-24) administered as an iv bolus dose, were not significantly different among six AR, six R, and six NC. This dose of ACTH results in maximal steroid release. The disappearance rates of cortisol (5 mg, iv) after dexamethasone suppression were similar in four AR, five R, and four NC and corresponded to a two-compartment model with mean half-lives of 4.9 and 93.8 min, respectively. Cortisol-binding globulin levels were also similar among the groups. These data document higher cortisol secretion and suggest increased ACTH secretion in running women.
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