Abstract
We assayed the diurnal concentrations of growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) in 6 healthy male volunteers to evaluate the self-similar features in the time series of each hormone on the basis of fractal theory and to determine the fractal dimension as an index of the complexity of the diurnal variation. In addition, we assessed the effects of a 6-hour delay in the sleep period on the complexity of the diurnal variaton of these hormones. There was a statistically significant fractal feature in the serum levels of GH both under the nocturnal-sleep and delayed-sleep conditions in all subjects. The time series of the serum PRL concentrations also showed a statistically significant fractal feature under the nocturnal-sleep and delayed-sleep conditions in all subjects. The fractal dimensions of the patterns of the GH or PRL levels were 1.879 and 1.929 or 1.754 and 1.785 under the nocturnal-sleep and delayed-sleep conditions, respectively. Two-way ANOVA revealed no significant difference in the fractal dimension between the two sleep conditions but did reveal a significant difference between the fractal dimensions of the GH and PRL levels. These results showed (1) that delayed sleep had no significant effect on the complexity of the diurnal pattern of these hormones, and (2) that the diurnal pattern of the GH levels was more complex than that of the PRL levels.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barinaga M, Yamonoto G, Rivier C, Vale W, Evans R, Rosenfeld MG. Transcription regulation of growth hormone gene expression by growth hormone-releasing factor. Nature 306:84–85;1983.
Beck U, Brezinova V, Hunter WM, Oswald I. Plasma growth hormone and slow wave sleep increase after interruption of sleep. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 40:812–815;1975.
Burlaga LF, Klein LW. Fractal structure of the interplanetary magnetic field. J Geophys Res 91:347–350;1986.
Falconer K. Fractal geometry: Mathematical foundations and applications. Chichester, Wiley, 1990.
Hashida S, Nakagawa K, Ishikawa E, Ohtaki S. Basal level of human growth hormone (h:GH) in normal serum. Clin Chim Acta 151:185–186;1985.
Higuchi T. Approach to an irregular time series on the basis of the fractal theory. Physica D 31:277–283;1988.
Honda Y, Takahashi K, Takahashi S, Azumi K, Irie M, Sakuma M, Tsushima T, Shizume K. Growth hormone secretion during nocturnal-sleep in normal subjects. J Clin Endocr 29:20–29;1969.
Lenbury Y, Pacheenburawana P. Modelling fluctuation phenomena in the plasma cortisol secretion system in normal man. Biosystems 26:117–125;1991.
Mandelbrot BB. The fractal geometry of nature. New York, Freeman, 1977.
Papavasiliou SS, Brue T, Jaquet P, Castanas E. Pattern of prolactin diurnal secretion in normal humans: evidence for nonlinear dynamics. Neuroendocrinology 62:444–453;1995.
Rachtschaffen A, Kales A. A manual of standardized terminology. Techniques and scoring system for sleep stages of human subjects. Washington, DC, Government Printing Office, 1968.
Robinson ICAF. The growth hormone secretory pattern: A response to neuroendocrine signals. Acta Paediatr Scand Suppl 372:70–78;1991.
Sadamatsu M, Kato N, Iida H, Takahashi S, Sakaue K, Takahashi K, Hashida S, Ishikawa E. The 24-hour rhythms in plasma growth hormone, prolactin and thyroid stimulating hormone: Effect of sleep deprivation. J Neuroendocrinol 7:597–606;1995.
Sassin J, Frantz A, Weitzman E, Kapen S. Human prolactin: 24-hour pattern with increased release during sleep. Science 177:1205–1207;1972.
Sassin J, Frantz AG, Kappen EDS, Weitzman ED. The nocturnal rise of human prolactin is dependent on sleep. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 37:436–440;1973.
Sassin J, Parker DC, Mace JW, Gotlin RW, Johnson LC, Rossma LG. Human growth hormone release: Relation to slow-wave sleep and sleep-waking cycles. Science 169:513–515;1969.
Tannenbaum GS. Somatostatin: Advances in experimental medicine and biology. New York, Plenum Press, 1985.
Wehrenberg WB, Ling N, Bohlen P, Esch F, Brazeau P, Guillemin R. Physiological roles of somatocrinin and somatostatin in the regulation of growth hormone secretion. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 109:562–566;1982.
West BJ. Fractal physiology and chaos in medicine. Studies of nonlinear phenomena in life science, vol 1. Singapore, World Scientific, 1990.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Noguchi, T., Yamada, N., Sadamatsu, M. et al. Evaluation of self-similar features in time series of serum growth hormone and prolactin levels by fractal analysis: Effect of delayed sleep and complexity of diurnal variation. J Biomed Sci 5, 221–225 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02253472
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02253472