The Somatotrophic Axis and the Reproductive Process in Health and Disease

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xviii

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2. Growth Hormone and Its Receptor: State of the Art

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Growth Hormone: A Current Perspective

      • M. O. Thorner, M. L. Hartman, C. M. Silva, B. D. Gaylinn, J. A. Aloi, S. E. Kirk et al.

      Pages 3-13

   3. Probing and Designing Growth Hormone-Receptor Interactions

      • James A. Wells, Anthony A. Kossiakoff

      Pages 14-22

   4. Human Growth Hormone Binding Proteins: Regulation and Physiological Significance

      • Gerhard Baumann, Moises Mercado, Norma Davila, Melissa Shaw, Klaus Amburn

      Pages 23-27

   5. Ovarian Prolactin Receptors and Their Placental Ligands

      • Daniel I. H. Linzer, Brian J. Arey

      Pages 28-39

   6. Regulatory Actions of Testosterone on Pulsatile Growth Hormone Secretion in the Human: Studies Using Deconvolution Analysis

      • J. D. Veldhuis, A. Iranmanesh, A. D. Rogol, R. J. Urban

      Pages 40-57

   7. Growth Hormone and IGF-I as Anabolic Partitioning Hormones

      • David R. Clemmons

      Pages 58-65

3. Pubertal, Menstrual, Gestational, and Menopausal Adaptation

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 67-67

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   2. Growth Hormone Secretory Dynamics During Puberty

      • Alan D. Rogol, Paul M. Martha Jr., Michael Johnson, Johannes D. Veldhuis, Robert M. Blizzard

      Pages 69-82

   3. Impact of Growth Hormone on the Timing and Progression of Puberty: How Are Growth and Sexual Maturation Linked?

      • Paul A. Boepple

      Pages 83-93

   4. Role of Growth Hormone in the Promotion of Linear Skeletal Growth

      • Claes Ohlsson, Jörgen Isgaard, Anders Lindahl, Olle G. P. Isaksson

      Pages 94-106

   5. Growth Hormone Economy in Normally Cycling Women

      • W. S. Evans, R. A. Booth Jr., K. K. Y. Ho, A. C. S. Faria, C. M. Asplin, J. D. Veldhuis et al.

      Pages 107-123

   6. Gestational Physiology of the Growth Hormone Gene Family

      • Nancy E. Cooke, Beverly K. Jones, Alan Salzman, J. Eric Russell, Anita Misra-Press, Margrit Urbanek et al.

      Pages 124-141

   7. Growth Hormone Economy in Menopausal Women: Effects of Age

      • Mark L. Hartman, Jill A. Kanaley, Arthur Weltman

      Pages 142-159

   8. Growth Hormone Economy in Hypogonadism: Effects of Sex Steroids

      • Ken K. Y. Ho, Andrew J. Weissberger, John J. Kelly

      Pages 160-171

4. Growth Hormone: The Ovarian Connection

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 173-173

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   2. Ovary as a Site of Growth Hormone Reception and Action

      • Eli Y. Adashi

      Pages 175-182

   3. Ovarian IGF System: Interface with the Gonadotropic and Somatotrophic Axes

      • James M. Hammond, Susan Samaras, Randall Grimes, Daniel Hagen, David Guthrie

      Pages 183-201

   4. Is the Intraovarian IGF System a Mediator of Growth Hormone Action?

      • J. K. Findlay

      Pages 202-211

For many years now, our understanding of the somatotrophic and reproduc­ tive axes has evolved essentially independently, both fields of study reaching a highly advanced, although far from complete, level of under­ standing. Along the way, however, it became apparent that in some circumstances the reproductive and somatotrophic axes may be inter­ dependent. Inklings to this effect were at times feeble and at other times more convincing. Among those inklings are the clinical recognition by pediatric endocrinologists of the apparent association between isolated GH deficiency and delayed puberty, as well as of the apparent permissive, pUberty-promoting property of GH. Equally important is a body of experi­ mental studies establishing the ovary of multiple species as a site of GH reception and action. Arguing against an essential role for GH in the reproductive process is the observation that individuals who have GH resistance of the Laron variety are fertile arid that isolated GH deficiency does not constitute an absolute barrier to the attainment of sexual maturation and fertility. The intraovarian insulin-like growth factor (IGF) hypothesis proposes that IGFs may serve as amplifiers of gonadotropin action. Although the dependence of intraovarian IGFs on systemic GH action has never been unequivocally demonstrated, that leap of faith has often been made. The intraovarian IGF hypothesis serves as the rationale for the adjunctive use of GH in the induction of ovulation.

• G proteins
• genes
• growth factor
• insulin-like
• physiology
• prolactin
• steroids

• Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA

  Eli Y. Adashi

• Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, USA

  Michael O. Thorner

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