Dental pulp blood flow and its oscillations in women with different estrogen status.
BACKGROUND
The skin microcirculation is significantly affected by serum estrogen levels. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of estrogen serum level changes associated with the menstrual cycle and postmenopause on dental pulp blood flow (PBF) as well as its dynamics.


METHODS
Young women at the menstrual phase (low serum estrogen levels) and in the mid-cycle phase of the menstrual cycle (high serum estrogen levels) and postmenopausal women were enrolled in the study. PBF and its oscillations were measured by laser Doppler flowmetry and analyzed by using wavelet transform. Serum levels of estradiol-17β were measured by immunoassay.


RESULTS
PBFs of young women in the menstrual phase and postmenopausal women were mutually similar and significantly lower than those of young women in the mid-cycle period. With respect to the mid-cycle phase, relative amplitude and power were significantly increased in the interval 0.0095-0.02 Hz and decreased in the intervals 0.02-0.06 and 0.06-0.2 Hz in the menstrual phase. A significant decrease in 0.0095-0.02 Hz and increase in 0.02-0.06, 0.06-0.2, 0.2-0.6, and 0.6-1.6 Hz intervals were observed in postmenopause.


CONCLUSIONS
The study has shown that the menstrual phase of the menstrual cycle and postmenopause have similar PBF decrease, but PBF oscillations are differently affected in the mid-cycle phase.
Department of Restorative Odontology and Endodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Bojan
B
Dzeletovic
Djurica
D
Grga
Elena
E
Krsljak
Djordje
D
Stratimirovic
Bozidar
B
Brkovic
Dragica
D
Stojic
D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000098:blood supply*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D008598:Menstruation / Q000502:physiology; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D058067:Wavelet Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
D004967:Estrogens; D004958:Estradiol