Medroxyprogesterone-induced endocrine alterations after menopause.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate endocrine responses to short-term medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) administered as a respiratory stimulant in postmenopausal women with mild nocturnal hypoxemia.


METHODS
Open-label trial with 14-day MPA (60 mg daily) and 3-week follow-up posttreatment. Serum concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, progesterone, and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) were assessed at baseline, while on MPA and at the 3-week washout in eight subjects.


RESULTS
With MPA, FSH decreased by 47.5% (p < 0.01) and LH by 64.9% (p < 0.001), whereas IGF-I increased by 39.6% (p < 0.01). FSH and LH remained suppressed at the 3-week washout (-23.8%, p < 0.05 and -44.3%, p < 0.01, respectively). IGF-I returned to pretreatment level at the 3-week washout. Neither serum estradiol nor progesterone concentrations changed during or after progestogen therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Daily administration of MPA (60 mg) for 2 weeks has both immediate (FSH, LH and IGF-I) and sustained (FSH, LH) effects up to 3 weeks after treatment. Therefore, prolonged MPA-induced effects should be taken into account when interpreting hormone assessments after progestogen therapy.
Saaresranta
Tarja
T
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Turku University Central Hospital, Finland. tarja.saaresranta@tyks.fi
Irjala
Kerttu
K
Polo-Kantola
Päivi
P
Polo
Olli
O
D000368:Aged; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000187:drug effects*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000187:drug effects*; D011336:Probability; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone