Figure 9From: Pathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in girls - a double neuro-osseous theory involving disharmony between two nervous systems, somatic and autonomic expressed in the spine and trunk: possible dependency on sympathetic nervous system and hormones with implications for medical therapy Diagram showing three hormonal ways in which leptin stimulates growth plates: (1) GH by stimulating GHRH-producing neurons and inhibiting somatostatin-producing neurons, (2) IGF-1; and (3) directly. [GH = growth hormone, GHRH = growth hormone releasing factor, SRIF = somatotropin release inhibiting factor (somatostatin) (Diagram modified from Gat-Yablonski and Phillip [222]).Back to article page