Puberty presents remarkable individual differences in timing reaching over 5 years in humans. We put emphasis on the two edges of the age distribution of pubertal signs in humans and point to an extended distribution towards earliness for initial pubertal stages and towards lateness for final pubertal stages. Such distortion of distribution is a recent phenomenon. This suggests changing environmental influences including the possible role of nutrition, stress and endocrine disruptors. Our ability to assess neuroendocrine effects and mechanisms is very limited in humans. Using the rodent as a model, we examine the impact of environmental factors on the individual variations in pubertal timing and the possible underlying mechanisms. The capacity of environmental factors to shape functioning of the neuroendocrine system is thought to be maximal during fetal and early postnatal life and possibly less important when approaching the time of onset of puberty.

Rat sexual maturation is preceded by a reduction of the interpulse interval (IPI) of GnRH neurosecretion. This work aims at studying disruption of that neuroendocrine event in females after early exposure to a very low dose of bisphenol A (BPA), a ubiquitous endocrine disrupting chemical. Female rats were exposed to vehicle or BPA 25 ng/kg·d, 25 μg/kg·d, or 5 mg/kg·d from postnatal day (PND)1 to PND5 or PND15. Exposure to 25 ng/kg·d of BPA for 5 or 15 days was followed by a delay in developmental reduction of GnRH IPI studied ex vivo on PND20. After 15 days of exposure to that low dose of BPA, vaginal opening tended to be delayed. In contrast, exposure to BPA 5 mg/kg·d for 15 days resulted in a premature reduction in GnRH IPI and a trend toward early vaginal opening. RNA sequencing analysis on PND20 indicated that exposure to BPA resulted in opposing dose effects on the mRNA expression of hypothalamic genes involved in gamma aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) neurotransmission. The study of GnRH secretion in vitro in the presence of GABAA receptor agonist/antagonist confirmed an increased or a reduced GABAergic tone after in vivo exposure to the very low or the high dose of BPA, respectively. Overall, we show for the first time that neonatal exposure to BPA leads to opposing dose-dependent effects on the neuroendocrine control of puberty in the female rat. A very low and environmentally relevant dose of BPA delays neuroendocrine maturation related to puberty through increased inhibitory GABAergic neurotransmission.

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The aim of this chapter is to revise some common views on changes in pubertal timing. This revision is based on recent epidemiological findings on the clinical indicators of pubertal timing and data on environmental factor effects and underlying mechanisms. A current advancement in timing of female puberty is usually emphasized. It appears, however, that timing is also changing in males. Moreover, the changes are towards earliness for initial pubertal stages and towards lateness for final stages in both sexes. Such observations indicate the complexity of environmental influences on pubertal timing. The mechanisms of changes in pubertal timing may involve both the central neuroendocrine control and peripheral effects at tissues targeted by gonadal steroids. While sufficient energy availability is a clue to the mechanism of pubertal development, changes in the control of both energy balance and reproduction may vary under the influence of common determinants such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). These effects can take place right before puberty as well as much earlier, during fetal and neonatal life. Finally, environmental factors can interact with genetic factors in determining changes in pubertal timing. Therefore, the variance in pubertal timing is no longer to be considered under absolutely separate control by environmental and genetic determinants. Some recommendations are provided for evaluation of EDC impact in the management of pubertal disorders and for possible reduction of EDC exposure along the precautionary principle.

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