Abstracts of the 7th International Congress of Auxology 26-30 June, 1994. Szombathely, Hungary [antikvár]

INVITED LECTURES ii nütrition, growth and hormonal environment IL-"V/ I HERNANDEZ, M. Department of Pediatrics. Autonomous University of Madrid. "Nino Jesús" Children's Hospitál. Madrid. Spain. Nutrition acts on growth mainly through two mechanisms. In a direct manner, due to the presence and actions of energetic substrates and molecules with structural functions. Secondly, in an indirect manner, through the endocrine system. The mechanism through which nutrients regulate or modify hormonal actions or tissue growth factors, remains unclear but somé data support the hypothesis that this effect is due to changes in plasma concentration of humán growth hormoné (GH), growth hormone-binding proteins (GHBPs), insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and IGF-II) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs). In order to corroborate this hypothesis, we have studied a population of healthy Spanish children and a second population of children with different degrees of malnutriton due to several clinical abnormalities. We will review in this lecture somé of our$ data. II nO A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE IN HUMÁN AUXOLOGY Tanner, J.M. University of London, U.K. ín historieal perspective there are three main strands of interest running through the study of humán auxology. They are: the social-reform strand, the clinical strand, and the pure biology strand. Aspects of each will be discussed. The social-reform strand emerged in the 1833 study of English factory children. It continues today world-wide. A recent branch, developed by Fogel, lies in the field of economic history. The clinical strand has given rise to much discussion over growth standards, and recently controversy over who should be treated with growth hormoné and the emergence of plastic endocrinology. The pure-biology strand, seen first in De Montbeillard, now is concerned with the cell-biology of growth and with the growth of non-human primates, the latter in the context of humán evolution, particularly by altering maturational rates and prolonging childhood.