title: Decreased blood serotonin in the premenstrual phase enhances negative mood in healthy women.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate mechanisms underlying the action of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on the improvement of negative mood symptoms in premenstrual syndrome. We assessed relationships between serotonin (5-HT) levels in the brain (estimated from 5-HT concentrations in whole blood) and negative mood states during the premenstrual phase in 13 healthy women. Mood states were evaluated using the Profile of Mood States questionnaire. We also evaluated relationships between 5-HT and ovarian hormones (oestradiol and progesterone). A significant negative correlation was seen between 5-HT concentrations in whole blood and negative mood scores (tension-anxiety and fatigue) observed in the premenstrual phase. A significant positive correlation was observed between 5-HT and oestradiol in the premenstrual phase, but not in the follicular phase. These results suggest that healthy women with lower whole blood 5-HT concentrations in the premenstrual phase exhibit enhanced negative mood due to lower 5-HT concentrations at brain synapses, which may be caused in part by lower oestrogen concentration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Toho University School of Medicine, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakatani
authors.forename: Yoshinari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: Xinjun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Tamami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sekiyama
authors.forename: Ikuko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sato-Suzuki
authors.forename: Hideho
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D012016:Reference Values; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol