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LH isoform profiles during short-term pulsatile LHRH administration in elderly men

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Abstract

LH isoform profiles were analyzed in sera resolved with isoelectrofocusing from 5 elderly men (age 70.6±2.95) and 5 young adult men (age 28.2±1.24), by using polyclonal antibodies (RIA), monoclonal antibodies directed against the β-sub-units (IRMA) and in vitro LH bioassay. Despite the fact that the elderly had lower testosterone levels than the young (293±38 vs 512±77 ng/dl, p<0.05), no differences were noted in the isoforms detected by any of the assays, although each assay yielded a characteristic profile. Indeed, RIA showed most LH in the acidic range, while IRMA revealed LH profiles with a major peak in the basic range, thus resembling the profiles determined by means of the bioassay. In the elderly, the profiles were also analyzed on day 7 and day 14 of short-term pulsatile sc LHRH administration (150 ng/bw/120 min). Only the LH bioassay detected an LHRH-induced shift to more basic and bioactive forms; these changes accompanied an increase in testosterone levels on day 7 (396±83 ng/dl, p<0.05 vs day 0) and on day 14 (320±58 ng/dl NS vs day 0). Our data suggest that: 1) the profiles obtained in young and elderly subjects are similar, irrespective of the antisera used; 2) as a result of treatment with LHRH in the elderly an increase in T levels occurs, possibly due to the observed changes in LH bioactivity; 3) the in vitro LH bioassay appears to be the most sensitive assay in detecting such changes, which consisted of an enrichment in more basic and bioactive glycoforms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Endocrine e Metaboliche, University of Genova, Genova, Italy

    M. Giusti M.D., S. Valenti, R. Guido, C. M. Cuttica, L. Foppiani & G. Giordano

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  1. M. Giusti M.D.
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  2. S. Valenti
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  3. R. Guido
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  4. C. M. Cuttica
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  5. L. Foppiani
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  6. G. Giordano
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This work was supported by a grant of the Italian Ministry of Scientific and Technological Research (MURST 60%)

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Giusti, M., Valenti, S., Guido, R. et al. LH isoform profiles during short-term pulsatile LHRH administration in elderly men. J Endocrinol Invest 20, 194–202 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03346902

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