title: Salivary α-amylase and cortisol after exercise in menopause: influence of long-term HRT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This observational prospective study analyzed the effect of an incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) on the secretion of salivary biomarkers of the adrenergic nervous system and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity by measuring salivary α-amylase and cortisol diurnal trajectories in the setting of long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen healthy sedentary postmenopausal women who were current HRT users and 15 women who had never used HRT were consecutively recruited. α-Amylase and cortisol were measured in salivary samples collected on the CPET day and on a rest day. Cardiovascular and respiratory fitness parameters were recorded during the CPET challenge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants had very homogeneous somatic characteristics, and they were all in generally good health. The postmenopausal never-HRT users presented an abnormal diurnal pattern of α-amylase at baseline and a flattened response to CPET. In contrast, women on HRT had a physiological α-amylase diurnal pattern and increased salivary α-amylase production during the CPET-induced challenge. The CPET challenge physiologically activated the HPA axis activity, as shown by the increase in the concentration of salivary cortisol during the effort test. HPA axis activity was not affected by long-term HRT. Postmenopausal women using HRT exhibited a cardiorespiratory functional capacity that was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of non-users.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings show that healthy postmenopausal women present an asymmetry between adrenergic nervous system and HPA axis activities under both basal and stress conditions. HRT was able to modify the abnormal adrenergic nervous system activity, most likely by reducing the sympathetic hyperactivity that characterizes menopause.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "V. Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Patacchioli
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ghiciuc
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Dima-Cozma
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fattorini
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Squeo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Galoppi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brunelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrante
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pasquali
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perrone
mesh_terms: D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008593:Menopause / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: ADRENERGIC NERVOUS SYSTEM; HYPOTHALAMUS–PITUITARY–ADRENAL AXIS; INCREMENTAL CARDIOPULMONARY EXERCISE TEST; MENOPAUSE; SALIVARY CORTISOL; SALIVARY α-AMYLASE