title: Hormonal contraceptive use diminishes salivary cortisol response to psychosocial stress and naltrexone in healthy women.
abstract: The use of hormonal contraception (HC) may affect salivary cortisol levels at rest and in response to a pharmacological or stress challenge. Therefore, the current study used a secondary data analysis to investigate the effect of HC on salivary cortisol levels in response to the mu-opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone and a psychosocial stressor, and also across the diurnal curve. Two hundred and nine women (n=72 using hormonal contraception; HC+) completed a two-session stress response study that consisted of a stress day, in which they were exposed to public speaking and mental arithmetic, and a rest day, in which unstimulated cortisol levels were measured to assess the diurnal rhythm. A subset of seventy women (n=24 HC+) also completed a second study in which they were administered oral naltrexone (50mg) or placebo in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind fashion. Women who were HC+ had a significantly reduced salivary cortisol response to both the psychosocial stressor (p<0.001) and naltrexone (p<0.05) compared to HC- women. Additionally, HC+ women had a significantly altered morning diurnal cortisol rhythm (p<0.01), with a delayed peak and higher overall levels. The results of the current study confirm that HC attenuates salivary cortisol response to a psychosocial stressor and mu-opioid receptor antagonism, and also alters the morning diurnal cortisol curve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel J O
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.forename: Andrea C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Cohoon
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Lovallo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009271:Naltrexone; D006854:Hydrocortisone