Sleep-Associated Augmentation and Synchronization of Luteinizing Hormone Pulses in Adult Men

We reinvestigated the temporal relationship between sleep and LH secretion in healthy adult males by comparing LH secretion patterns during sleep with those during the 6 h of wakefulness preceding the sleep epoch. Sleep stages were determined by somnopolygraphy. In these subjects LH secretion was augmented during sleep as indicated by increased mean LH concentrations and increased pulse amplitudes; pulse frequency was not different. In addition, LH secretion appeared to be synchronized to the NonREM-REM sleep cycles: initiation of LH pulses occurred preferentially in the mid-portion of a NonREM-REM cycle during Non-REM sleep. Thus, REM sleep was almost uniformly associated with decreasing LH concentration. These findings demonstrate that patterns of LH secretion characteristic for early puberty are principally present also in adult males.