Synchronization of Augmented Luteinizing Hormone Secretion with Sleep during Puberty

Abstract

Luteinizing hormone (LH) was measured in plasma every 20 minutes for 24 hours in 14 children and adolescents in different stages of sexual maturation and in five adult men. Polygraphic monitoring of nocturnal sleep was carried out simultaneously to identify sleep onset, wakefulness and sleep stages precisely. Prepubertal children and adult men showed no consistent significant difference between mean LH concentrations with subjects asleep and awake. In all pubertal subjects, an increase in LH secretion was associated with sleep that resulted in significantly higher mean LH concentrations than with the subject awake. By experimental delay in sleep onset, synchronization of this LH secretory "program" with actual sleep was clearly demonstrated. The number of LH secretory episodes during night or day sleep corresponded to the number of sleep cycles of rapid and nonrapid eye movements. This finding of a sleep-associated increase in LH secretory activity provides a biologic index for the identification of puberty.