This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.The objective of this research is to determine whether differences in the timing of puberty may be explained by alterations in the elaboration of FSH under the control of the FSH-regulatory peptides. We will determine how these peptides relate to FSH production in prepubertal and pubertal children by comparing the regulation of FSH control in children with precocious puberty and delayed puberty. In this pilot study, we will stimulate the pubertal axis using an agonist of GnRH to determine the pubertal response of activin-A, inhibin-A and B and follistatin. To determine baseline FSH secretion and FSH-regulatory peptide tone, we will block GnRH with a specific antagonist. These studies should lead to a better understanding of the role of FSH in controlling the onset of puberty and the pathogenesis of pubertal disorders.
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