Adolescent Development of Biological Rhythms in Female Rats: Estradiol Dependence and Effects of Combined Contraceptives

Adolescence is a period of continuous development, including the maturation of endogenous rhythms across systems and timescales. Although, these dynamic changes are well-recognized, their continuous structure and hormonal dependence have not been systematically characterized. Given the well-established link between core body temperature (CBT) and reproductive hormones in adults, we hypothesized that high-resolution CBT can be applied to passively monitor pubertal development and disruption with high fidelity. To examine this possibility, we used signal processing to investigate the trajectory of CBT rhythms at the within-day (ultradian), daily (circadian), and ovulatory timescales, their dependence on estradiol (E2), and the effects of hormonal contraceptives. Puberty onset was marked by a rise in fecal estradiol (fE2), followed by an elevation in CBT and circadian power. This time period marked the commencement of 4-day rhythmicity in fE2, CBT, and ultradian power marking the onset of the estrous cycle. The rise in circadian amplitude was accelerated by E2 treatment, indicating a role for this hormone in rhythmic development. Contraceptive administration in later adolescence reduced CBT and circadian power and resulted in disruption to 4-day cycles that persisted after discontinuation. Our data reveal with precise temporal resolution how biological rhythms change across adolescence and demonstrate a role for E2 in the emergence and preservation of multiscale rhythmicity. These findings also demonstrate how hormones delivered exogenously in a non-rhythmic pattern can disrupt rhythmic development. These data lay the groundwork for a future in which temperature metrics provide an inexpensive, convenient method for monitoring pubertal maturation and support the development of hormone therapies that better mimic and support human chronobiology.

Adolescent Development of Biological Rhythms: Estradiol Dependence and Effects of Combined Contraceptives

Purpose: Adolescence is a period of continuous development, including the maturation of endogenous rhythms across systems and timescales. Although these dynamic changes are well recognized, their continuous structure and hormonal dependence have not been systematically characterized. Given the well-established link between core body temperature (CBT) and reproductive hormones in adults, we hypothesized that high-resolution CBT can be applied to passively monitor pubertal development and disruption with high fidelity. Methods: To examine this possibility, we used signal processing to investigate the trajectory of CBT rhythms at the within-day (ultradian), daily (circadian), and ovulatory timescales, their dependence on estradiol, and the effects of hormonal contraceptives. Results: Puberty onset was marked by a rise in fecal estradiol (fE2), followed by an elevation in CBT and circadian power. This time period marked the commencement of 4-day rhythmicity in fE2, CBT, and ultradian power marking the onset of the estrous cycle. The rise in circadian amplitude was accelerated by E2 treatment, indicating a role for this hormone in rhythmic development. Contraceptive administration in later adolescence reduced CBT and circadian power and resulted in disruption to 4-day cycles that persisted after discontinuation. Conclusions: Our data reveal with precise temporal resolution how biological rhythms change across adolescence and demonstrate a role for E2 in the emergence and preservation of multiscale rhythmicity. These findings also demonstrate how hormones delivered exogenously in a non-rhythmic pattern can disrupt rhythmic development. These data lay the groundwork for a future in which temperature metrics provide an inexpensive, convenient method for monitoring pubertal maturation and support the development of hormone therapies that better mimic and support human chronobiology.

Impact of Contraception on Uterine Fibroids

Background and Objectives: Uterine fibroids develop in 25–40% of women of childbearing age; however, there are discrepancies resulting from population and socioeconomic differences. The pathogenesis of fibroids is not clear. The aim of the study was to assess the potential connection between the use of oral contraceptives and the occurrence of uterine fibroids in women of childbearing age. Materials and Methods: In this prospective, survey, case–control study, data were collected from Caucasian female patients (mean age = 30) using a questionnaire concerning the onset, duration and form of hormonal contraception, and medical and obstetrical history. The questionnaires were handed personally to hospitalized patients as well as distributed through Google forms on social media. Results: In a study group (n = 140) of patients using hormonal contraception, 37.8% of them were diagnosed with uterine fibroids, whereas among the patients not using hormonal contraception (n = 206), uterine fibroids were diagnosed in 59.6% of the patients. The most common hormonal contraception was two-component hormonal tablets used by 93.3% of the patients. Taking contraceptives was a uterine fibroids protective factor (OR = 0.4, p = 0.007). In the study group, 5.5% of the patients were pregnant and 60.42% were diagnosed with uterine fibroids (OR = 4.4, p < 0.000001). Conclusion: Contraception was found to be a protective factor for uterine fibroids among the women surveyed. The presented data confirm the theory about the hormonal dependence of uterine fibroids.

Low-penetrance R92Q (p.Arg121Gln) mutation in the TNFRSF1A gene: the significance and variants of phenotypes. Successful experience with the interleukin-1 inhibitor canakinumab in a female patient, who is a carrier of R92Q mutation with a severe TRAPS phenotype

The paper is devoted to the assessment of the R92Q (p.Arg121Gln) mutation/polymorphism in the TNFRSF1A gene associated with the monogenic autoinflammatory disease – Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Periodic Syndrome (TRAPS). It gives data on the frequency of this gene in the general population, which is 1.3% and significantly exceeds the incidence of TRAPS. The authors describe the variants of phenotypes associated with its mutation from asymptomatic carriage to the development of a severe systemic autoinflammatory state with persistent febrile fever and a significant increase in the level of acute-phase inflammatory markers that do not respond to standard antirheumatic therapy. They present a clinical case of the high efficiency of the anti-interleukin 1β monoclonal antibody canakinumab in a female patient with a severe TRAPS phenotype, who had the R92Q mutation and hormonal dependence. Canakinumab therapy led to complete relief from all manifestations of the disease and to discontinuation of glucocorticoids. The authors conclude that the decision to prescribe therapy with biological agents should be made on the basis of the clinical severity of the disease rather than a variant of the mutation that caused it.

The role of estrogen and progesterone receptors in women with adenomyosis in postmenopause

Adenomyosis (AD) is an urgent medical problem of the present. The issues of etiology and pathogenesis of internal endometriosis remain controversial. The purpose of the work is to define the role of estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors in the pathogenesis of adenomyosis (AD) in postmenopausal women. Selection criteria: established diagnosis of AD, postmenopausal period (no menstruation for more than 1 year) and absence of concomitant endometrial pathology. An immunohistochemical (IHС) study was performed to determine the state of the receptor apparatus for markers of estrogen and progesterone. The IНC study of the eu- and ectopic endometrium receptor apparatus revealed the presence of ER and RR expression both in epithelial cells and stromal cells, indicating the hormonal dependence of AD foci and the key role of steroid hormones in the development and preservation of intraocular endometriosis in postmenopausal women. Nearly a third of women in the epithelial cells of the eutopic endometrium found a normal correlation between ER and PR, respectively leading to 1. In stromal cells, a decrease in ER was observed with an increase in RR (ER / PR <1) in 9 out of 15 patients. Analysis of the distribution of the ratio of expression ratios of ER and PR in ectopic endometrium revealed the predominance of the role of PR in ER in the pathogenesis of internal endometriosis. The components of the ectopic endometrium in most women were characterized by an increase in PR and a decrease in ER (ER / PR <1).