title: The effect of estrogen replacement therapy on plasma serotonin and catecholamines of postmenopausal women.
abstract: We examined the effect of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) on plasma serotonin (5HT) and norepinephrine (NE) and their correlation with serum estradiol, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in 12 postmenopausal women. Plasma 5HT and NE, estrogen, progesterone, LH and FSH were examined every 4 days for 2 consecutive months (before and during ERT). Serotonin values were low (32.29 +/- 38.36 nmol/l) and showed an intrinsic spontaneous cyclicity with a nadir every 10-11 days. Plasma NE was similar to that observed during the follicular phase of the ovulatory cycle (1,216.8 +/- 503.4 pmol/l) and showed no cyclicity. ERT significantly increased mean (+/- SD) serum estrogen values (from 95.40 +/- 73.31 to 390.72 +/- 347.17 pmol/l, P = 0.0001), significantly decreased serum FSH (from 84.04 +/- 14.97 to 52.97 +/- 20.74 mIU/ml, P = 0.0001) and LH (from 35.35 +/- 13.82 mIU/ml to 29.69 +/- 16.46 mIU/ml, P = 0.03). Plasma 5HT levels showed a tendency to rise under the influence of ERT, but this increase was not statistically significant. Plasma NE decreased significantly from 1,216.8 +/- 503.4 to 994.1 +/- 353.89 pmol/l, P <0.05. In conclusion, plasma serotonin in postmenopausal women has a 10-11 day cycle and is significantly lower than in the follicular phase of ovulating women. Plasma NE shows no cyclicity and is significantly decreased by ERT.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Endocrinology, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vered
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lifshitz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nordenberg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harsat
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sulkes
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gabbay
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Graff
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D010507:Periodicity; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP); D012701:Serotonin; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate; D009638:Norepinephrine