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Right arrow Endocrinology

AAP Grand Rounds 3:34 (2000)
© 2000 American Academy of Pediatrics

ENDOCRINOLOGY

The Mysterious Mechanism of Adrenarche

Source: Ibanez L, Potau N, Marcos MV, de Zegher F. Corticotropin-releasing hormone: a potent androgen secretagogue in girls with hyperandrogenism after precocious pubarche. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1999;84:4602–4606.

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

Adrenarche refers to the maturational activation of the androgen-secreting zone of the adrenal cortex, and the adrenal androgens produced at adrenarche are felt to be the main factor leading to the appearance of pubic and axillary hair. The mechanism responsible for adrenarche has been the subject of substantial research and speculation for over 3 decades. Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (CRH) is a potent direct adrenal secretagogue in men and may be a key regulator of adrenarche. In this report, Ibanez and colleagues examined adrenal and ovarian responses to CRH and to Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) agonist in 12 adolescent girls (age 14–21 . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Kenneth Copeland, MD, FAAP
Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK