Effect of GnRH administration on blood polyamines and LH levels in normal and obese children.

Blood polyamines (spermidine and spermine) and LH levels have been studied after acute GnRH injection both in obese and normal weight children. In both groups LH values significantly increased after stimulation but reached higher peaks in normal children than in obese ones (P less than 0.05). On the contrary, polyamine levels increased significantly only in the normal weight children. LH peaked at 30 min and polyamines at 60 min after GnRH injection. On the basis of the proposed role of polyamines in hormone action and of our results, we suggest that polyamines may play a pivotal role in hormone responsiveness of hypothalamic-hypophyseal axis.