[Circadian and infradian rhythms of testosterone and aldosterone excretion in children].

Individual daily and many-day time course of hormonal excretion was studied in boys of various ages. Cosinor analysis was used to determine the parameters of circadian and infradian rhythms. Time course of the mesor and amplitude circadian rhythms of testosterone, aldosterone, and luteinizing hormone (LH) in 5 groups (from 4 to 28 years of age) evidenced changes of this rhythm with age. The aldosterone mesor rhythm reduced as the boy grew older till he reached the adolescence, whereas testosterone and LH mesor increased, this increase being particularly marked by adolescence as regards testosterone and by youth in what concerns LH. The rhythm amplitude (mesor %) of aldosterone and testosterone was the maximal in children aged 7-8, then it reduced; LH amplitude was the highest in adolescents aged 13-14. A 40-day investigation of testosterone and aldosterone excretion in boys and youths has revealed infradian rhythms with periods of 2.5 to 5.5 days. These rhythms were characterized by age-specific differences as to the mesor size and oscillation amplitude, not differing by the periods. Infradian rhythms with periods of 5 to 13.5 days and testosterone excretion rhythm 21-day long were detected in youths. These results permit a conclusion that the structure of these hormones circadian and infradian rhythms may serve to characterize the age-specific and individual features of the endocrine gland functioning.