Relationship between cerebrospinal fluid beta-endorphin and plasma pituitary-gonadal hormone levels in women.
Brain beta-endorphin (beta-EP) plays an important role in regulating the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis activity. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) beta-EP levels seem to reflect the central rather than pituitary secretion. With the aim to correlate the changes of plasma estradiol (E2), progesterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone with brain beta-EP, CSF levels of beta-EP were measured in 15 normally cycling and 15 postmenopausal women. CSF beta-EP levels in post-menopausal women were lower than in fertile women. A positive correlation between plasma E2 and CSF beta-EP level was found in all women. In fertile women CSF beta-EP levels were inversely correlated to plasma gonadotropin levels. These results showed that CSF beta-EP levels differ between fertile and postmenopausal women and are correlated with plasma LH and E2, suggesting a strong linkage between central beta-EP levels and pituitary-gonadal axis hormones.
Nappi
C
C
Istituto di Ginecologia Ostetricia e Fisiopatologia della Riproduzione Umana, II Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Napoli.
Petraglia
F
F
Gambardella
A
A
De Masellis
G
G
Di Carlo
C
C
Genazzani
A R
AR
Montemagno
U
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D008593:Menopause / Q000097:blood; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone