title: Estro-progestin supplementation enhances the growth hormone secretory responsiveness to ghrelin infusion in postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of estro-progestin supplementation on ghrelin-mediated GH release, we studied the consequence of ghrelin or saline injection before and after 60 days of hormone therapy or placebo administration in postmenopausal subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective double blind, placebo-controlled, and parallel cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Operative Division of Endocrinological Gynecology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen postmenopausal women participated in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten women were randomized to receive estro-progestin treatment (2 mg of hemihydrate E(2) and 10 mg of dydrogesterone in a continuous sequential regimen); eight women were treated with placebo. All patients underwent in a randomized order a ghrelin test (1 microg/kg IV bolus) or a saline infusion (2-mL IV bolus) on two different days, before and after 60 days of treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Basal hormonal assays, including ghrelin basal levels. The GH levels were measured at baseline and after 15, 30, 60, 90 minutes of ghrelin or saline injection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The acute ghrelin injection released a notable GH secretion in all postmenopausal women. After estro-progestin therapy the ghrelin-stimulated GH response was significantly higher than before treatment. In particular, the percent increase of ghrelin GH-releasing effect, expressed as incremental area under the curve (AUCi-GH) was more than 50% after hormone therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In postmenopausal women estro-progestin treatment clearly influenced the ghrelin-stimulated GH secretion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. paolavilla@rm.unicatt.it
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Costantini
authors.forename: Concetta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perri
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suriano
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ricciardi
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanzone
mesh_terms: D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004338:Drug Combinations; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D009652:Norpregnenes / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010919:Placebos; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D054439:Ghrelin; D009652:Norpregnenes; D010919:Placebos; C494367:estroprogestin; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D013006:Growth Hormone