Endogenous oestrogens and the renin-aldosterone axis--castration of women with high or normal oestradiol level.
Oestrogens increase plasma renin activity (PRA) by inducing synthesis of renin substrate in the liver. This is proved clinically by the synthetic oestrogens of oral contraceptives and by the equine conjugated oestrogens in postmenopausal therapy. The effect of endogenous oestrogen production on the activity of the renin-aldosterone system is not clear, but progesterone is an important stimulus of renin release in the luteal phase of menstrual cycle. We studied 15 premenopausal women undergoing bilateral oophorectomy. Eight women had high mean serum oestradiol level 1.2 +/- 0.6 (SD) nmol/l for follicular cysts or for a prolonged climacteric proliferation phase. Seven women had normal follicular oestradiol level (0.2 +/- 0.1 nmol/l). In PRA or daily urinary aldosterone excretion (dU-Ald) no differences could be found between the groups. In one month after oophorectomy no changes in PRA or dU-Ald were found in either group, while the serum oestradiol fell to unmeasurable levels. The results suggest that endogenous oestrogens are not to cause activation of the renin-aldosterone axis as measured by the clinically useful PRA and dU-Ald. The result is in agreement with previous reports of postmenopausal therapy with oestriol succinate or oestradiol valerate.
D000328:Adult; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000652:urine*; D002369:Castration; D002979:Climacteric; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
D000450:Aldosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D012083:Renin