scholarly journals Joint effect of particulate matter and cigarette smoke on women’s sex hormones

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Merklinger-Gruchala ◽  
Grazyna Jasienska ◽  
Inger Thune ◽  
Maria Kapiszewska

Abstract Background Although relationships between exposure to air pollution and reproductive health are broadly studied, mechanisms behind these phenomena are still unknown. The aim of the study was to assess whether exposure to particulate matter (PM10) and tobacco smoking have an impact on menstrual profiles of 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) and the E2/P ratio. Methods Levels of sex hormones were measured daily in saliva during the entire menstrual cycle among 132 healthy, urban women. Exposure to smoking (active or passive) was assessed by questionnaire, whilst exposure to PM10 with municipal monitoring data. Results During the early luteal phase, profiles of E2 were elevated among women with higher versus lower exposure to PM10 (p = 0.02, post-hoc tests). Among those who were exposed versus unexposed to tobacco smoking, the levels of mean E2 measured during the entire cycle were higher (p = 0.02). The difference in mean E2 levels between the group of joint exposure (i.e. to high PM10 and passive or active smoking) versus the reference group (low PM10, no smoking) was statistically significant at p = 0.03 (18.4 vs. 12.4 pmol/l, respectively). The E2/P ratios were higher among women with higher versus lower exposure to PM10 and this difference was seen only in the early luteal phase (p = 0.01, exploratory post-hoc tests). Conclusions We found that PM10 and tobacco smoking affect ovarian hormones independently and do not interact with each other. Both exposures appear to have estrogenic effects even though women's susceptibility to these effects differs across the menstrual cycle. We propose that the hormonal mechanisms are involved in observed relationships between air pollution and smoking with women’s reproductive health.

1993 ◽  
Vol 136 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Nadler ◽  
J. F. Dahl ◽  
D. C. Collins

ABSTRACT The relationship between sex hormone concentrations and female genital swelling during the menstrual cycle in the monogamous gibbon was comparable with that of polygamous female primates, such as the chimpanzee, which live in multimale groups and have larger swellings. The data, therefore, support the hypothesis proposed by C. R. Carpenter more than 50 years ago, that the gibbon's genital swelling, like that of other female primates, reflects basic physiological processes associated with progress of the menstrual cycle. Genital swelling increased during the follicular phase with increasing concentrations of oestradiol and oestrone glucuronide, reached maximal swelling in association with the mid-cycle peaks in the oestrogens and LH and began detumescence with the initial increases in progesterone during the luteal phase. The data also suggest that the menstrual cycle of the gibbon is shorter than previously reported, since cycles of 19–22 days exhibited hormone patterns that are consistent with ovulation. The genital swelling of the female gibbon is a useful marker for monitoring progress of the menstrual cycle and the presumptive time of ovulation. Journal of Endocrinology (1993) 136, 447–455


1982 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irving E. Salit

Neisseria gonorrhoeae exist in transparent (Tr) and opaque (Op) colony forms. Op forms are recovered from patients early in the menstrual cycle; Tr colonies predominate late in the cycle. The mechanism for this colonial variation was examined by determining the influence of gonodal hormones on growth inhibition of Op and Tr isogenic variants of gonococci. The estrogens, estrone and estradiol, enhanced growth whereas 19-nortestosterone, testosterone, and progesterone significantly inhibited gonococcal growth. Testosterone and progesterone inhibited growth of the Op variants to a greater degree than the Tr variants. Mixtures of Tr and Op colonies grown in the presence of progesterone became predominantly Tr, as occurs in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. This study supports the hypothesis of hormonal influence on colonial variation but employed artificial in vitro conditions and high hormone levels.


2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S236-S236
Author(s):  
Maria Teresa Pons-Cabrera ◽  
Maria Sagué-Vilavella ◽  
Alexandre González-Rodríguez ◽  
Santiago Madero ◽  
Mireia Vázquez ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Kraepelin (1909) wrote about the association between female sex hormones and psychotic symptoms. He observed that women diagnosed with schizophrenia showed signs of gonadal dysfunction and hypoestrogenism. Antipsychotic drugs had not yet been introduced, so it cannot be interpreted as side effects. At the beginning of the 20th-century rhythmicity of psychotic symptoms through menstrual cycle was observed. The symptoms ameliorated when higher levels of estrogens were found. It was also noted during pregnancy. Reported cases and some studies confirmed these observations. Epidemiology shows a later peak of onset of psychosis in women. This protective role, also observed in clinical and animal studies, remains for the reproductive years and decreases by the time of menopause, when there’s a second important peak of onset in women. In spite of all these observations, few systematic investigations have been published about the effects of estrogens in women with schizophrenia. This study aims to investigate differences in the levels of sexual hormones between antipsychotic-naïve women with and without psychosis. Methods We performed a retrospective case-control study to compare the levels of sex hormones in blood of first-episode psychosis (FEP) and healthy control women (HC) of reproductive age, as a part of a NIH-NIDDK project on the study of hormonal factors and metabolism in psychosis. All participants were antipsychotic-naïve, in order to avoid bias from antipsychotic medication use. Four cases and four controls were recruited: cases were women newly diagnosed with primary non-affective psychosis at the emergency department of our hospital, and controls were mental health workers of similar age with no history of psychosis. Blood samples were obtained at the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. We registered the following variables: age, psychosis status, last menstrual day and hormone blood levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol and progesterone. We used descriptive statistics for age and hormone blood levels (mean and standard deviation -SD-) and we performed the Kruskal-Wallis test to determine any statistical differences of these variables regarding psychosis status. All participants provided informed consent. Ethical approval was obtained from the institutional ethics review board. Results The mean age of FEP was 31.4 years (SD 1.9) and 26.1 years (SD 3.5) for HC, with no statistically significant differences. Both FSH and LH were higher in FEP (FSH: mean 7 U/L, SD 1.7; LH: mean 8.4 U/L, SD 2.6) compared to HC (FSH: mean 3.5 U/L, SD 1.2; LH: mean 5.7 U/L, SD 3.3), reaching statistical significance in the case of FSH (p=0.015). 17-b-estradiol was lower in FEP (mean 75.3 pg/mL, SD 54.6) than in HC (mean 151 ng/mL, SD 102.1), although differences were not statistically significant Discussion We observed higher levels of FSH in women with psychosis compared to controls in the luteal phase. These women were antipsychotic-naïve; thus, these results are not a consequence of medication use. Our observations add evidence to the known relationship between altered hormonal levels and schizophrenia in women. The increase in FSH stimulates the production of estrogens, which are known to be low in psychosis compared to healthy controls. This finding supports the hypoestrogenism hypothesis of schizophrenia. Future studies with larger samples evaluating hormonal levels, psychotic symptoms and differences with hormonal treatments could lead to research of new adjunctive therapies or approaches.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 327-331
Author(s):  
L. D. Popova ◽  
I. M. Vasylyeva ◽  
O. A. Nakonechna

The excessive aggression is an actual problem of modern society but the mechanisms of aggressiveness development have not been sufficiently investigated. Women aggression is considered to differ from men one and results obtained on males cannot be extrapolated on females. Sex hormones have a crucial role in the generation of sexually dimorphic aggression circuits during development and their maintenance during adulthood. Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis and sympathoadrenal system are major neuroendocrine systems that respond to stress. Stress hormones are involved into behavioral reactions of organism. Gonadal, hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axes, and sympathoadrenal system are tightly interrelated and every of them can influence another one. The purpose of the study was to estimate correlation differences between sex and stress hormones in men and women. Material and methods. Forty healthy young people aged 18 to 22 years with a body mass index of 19-24 (21 women and 19 men) were enrolled in the study. Hormone levels in blood serum were determined by Testosterone, Estradiol, Cortisol ELISA kits (Italy), Epinephrine/Norepinephrine (EPI) ELISA kit (China). Results and discussion. In all phases of the menstrual cycle, the level of cortisol in women was lower than in men, but in the luteal phase these differences were not statistically significant. In all phases of the menstrual cycle, the blood serum norepinephrine content in women was lower than in men, but in the follicular phase these differences were not statistically significant. The level of epinephrine in women during ovulation and luteal phase did not differ from the level of epinephrine in men, but in follicular phase it was significantly lower. Calculations of correlations between individual hormones revealed a significant difference between them in men and women. Positive correlations between testosterone and estradiol and between cortisol and epinephrine; a strong negative correlation between epinephrine and testosterone/norepinephrine ratio were found in men. Positive correlation between testosterone and cortisol and negative correlation between estradiol and cortisol/testosterone ratio were revealed in women. Conclusion. In women, strong correlations were found between cortisol and sex hormones; in men, strong interrelationship was revealed between cortisol and epinephrine. Both in men and in women (in all phases of the menstrual cycle), high positive correlations between testosterone/norepinephrine and cortisol/norepinephrine ratios were observed


SLEEP ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leilah K Grant ◽  
Joshua J Gooley ◽  
Melissa A St Hilaire ◽  
Shantha M W Rajaratnam ◽  
George C Brainard ◽  
...  

Abstract Study objectives Women in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle exhibit better cognitive performance overnight than women in the follicular phase, although the mechanism is unknown. Given the link between core body temperature (CBT) and performance, one potential mechanism is the thermoregulatory role of progesterone (P4), estradiol (E2), and their ratio (P4/E2), which change across the menstrual cycle. We examined the role of P4/E2 in modulating performance during extended wake in premenopausal women. Additionally, we compared the acute effects of nighttime light exposure on performance, CBT, and hormones between the menstrual phases. Methods Participants were studied during a 50 h constant routine and a 6.5 h monochromatic nighttime light exposure. Participants were 16 healthy, naturally cycling women (eight follicular; eight luteal). Outcome measures included reaction time, attentional failures, self-reported sleepiness, CBT, melatonin, P4, and E2. Results As compared to women in the luteal phase, women in the follicular phase exhibited worse performance overnight. CBT was significantly associated with performance, P4, and P4/E2 but not with other sex hormones. Sex hormones were not directly related to performance. Light exposure that suppressed melatonin improved performance in the follicular phase (n = 4 per group) to levels observed during the luteal phase and increased CBT but without concomitant changes in P4/E2. Conclusions Our results underscore the importance of considering menstrual phase when assessing cognitive performance during sleep loss in women and indicate that these changes are driven predominantly by CBT. Furthermore, this study shows that vulnerability to sleep loss during the follicular phase may be resolved by exposure to light.


Author(s):  
Kshama V Kedar ◽  
Radha P Munje ◽  
Amar K Karia

ABSTRACT Introduction Sex hormones play an important role in women's health. There is a close relationship between female sex hormones and lung function in postmenopausal women. Deterioration of lung function is observed more after menopause. Estrogen deficiency after menopause accelerates the adverse effects of biological aging on lung mechanics in postmenopausal women. Our study uses a spirometer to analyze and evaluate these effects of menopausal aging. Objective To study the effects of menopause on pulmonary function tests in women of perimenopausal age group. Materials and methods This study was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Indira Gandhi Government Medical College & Hospital (IGGMC) Nagpur, India. Totally 50 women each in premenopausal and menopausal age groups were included in our study. Venous blood was collected under aseptic precautions on 10 to 14 and 18 to 23 days corresponding to follicular and luteal phase of menstrual cycle in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Serum estrogen and progesterone levels were estimated by microparticle enzyme immunoassay. The pulmonary function of all subjects was measured with digital microspirometer and data collected. The peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), forced expiratory flow (FEF)25-75, forced expiratory volume (FEV1), and forced vital capacity (FVC) were studied and correlated with symptoms. Data analysis was done using Student's unpaired t-test and chi-squared test. Results The mean percentages of predicted values of FEF25-75 and PEFR were lower in postmenopausal women compared with premenopausal women. Mean serum estrogen levels were significantly lower in postmenopausal women as compared with premenopausal women. Progesterone levels were lower in postmenopausal women and in proliferative phase of premenopausal women as compared with luteal phase of menstrual cycle. Conclusion As menopause sets in, decrease in hormonal levels leads to decreased lung capacity as evident by pulmonary function tests. Decreased pulmonary function test can be attributed to lower levels of sex hormones estrogen and progesterone in postmenopausal women. How to cite this article Karia AK, Kedar KV, Munje RP. Effect of Menopause on Pulmonary Functions: An Analysis! J South Asian Feder Menopause Soc 2017;5(2):99-101.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ari Shechter ◽  
Diane B. Boivin

A relationship exists between the sleep-wake cycle and hormone secretion, which, in women, is further modulated by the menstrual cycle. This interaction can influence sleep across the menstrual cycle in healthy women and in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), who experience specific alterations of circadian rhythms during their symptomatic luteal phase along with sleep disturbances during this time. This review will address the variation of sleep at different menstrual phases in healthy and PMDD women, as well as changes in circadian rhythms, with an emphasis on their relationship with female sex hormones. It will conclude with a brief discussion on nonpharmacological treatments of PMDD which use chronotherapeutic methods to realign circadian rhythms as a means of improving sleep and mood in these women.


Author(s):  
Nuria Romero-Parra ◽  
Laura Barba-Moreno ◽  
Beatriz Rael ◽  
Víctor M. Alfaro-Magallanes ◽  
Rocío Cupeiro ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the menstrual cycle and its underlying hormonal fluctuations affect muscle damage and inflammation in well-trained females following an eccentric exercise. Nineteen eumenorrheic women performed an eccentric squat-based exercise in the early follicular phase, late follicular phase and mid-luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. Sex hormones and blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation –creatine kinase, myoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, interleukin-6, tumoral necrosis factor-α, and C reactive protein– were analyzed in each phase. No effect of menstrual cycle phase was observed (p > 0.05), while an interaction for interleukin-6 was shown (p = 0.047). Accordingly, a moderate effect size [0.68 (0.53)–0.84 (0.74)], indicated that interleukin-6 values 2 h post-trial (2.07 ± 1.26 pg/mL) were likely to be higher than baseline (1.59 ± 0.33 pg/mL), 24 h (1.50 ± 0.01 pg/mL) and 48 h (1.54 ± 0.13 pg/mL) in the mid-luteal phase. Blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation were not affected by the menstrual cycle in well-trained women. The eccentric exercise barely triggered muscle damage and hence, no inflammation was observed, possibly due to participants training status. The mid-luteal phase was the only phase reflecting a possible inflammatory response in terms of interleukin-6, although further factors than sex hormones seem to be responsible for this finding.


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