An attempt was made to establish the importance of the synchronous augmentation of luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion with sleep in pubertal and sometimes in late prepubertal boys. Plasma LH and testosterone (T) were measured by radioimmunoassay in six normal pubertal boys at 20 minute intervals throughout a control 24 hour sleep/wake cycle, in one boy during a delayed sleep onset study, and in three additional boys during control and acute sleep/wake cycle reversal study periods. Three sexually mature young men had control studies following a protocol identical to that of the pubertal boys to determine whether young adult men also showed a consistent rise in plasma LH and T during sleep. The findings clearly indicated that in the normal pubertal boys and in sexually mature young men there were episodic fluctuations in plasma T levels. Marked augmentation of T secretion was noted during sleep in pubertal boys. This augmentation was dependent on increased LH secretion. The functioning of this LH/T relationship depended on sleep and displayed a shift in response to delayed sleep onset and reversal of the sleep/wake pattern. Sexually mature young men did not show any consistent relationship between LH and T secretion either awake or asleep.
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