Summary
Concentrations of immunoreactiveβ-endorphin (irβ-E), corticotropin, cortisol, prolactin and catecholamines in plasma were followed in 11 healthy women during and after exposure to intense heat in a Finnish sauna bath, and compared to those in a similar control situation without exposure to heat. Heat stress significantly increased prolactin and norepinephrine secretion; the percentage increases from the initial plasma concentrations varied from 113 to 1280% (mean 510%) and from 18 to 150% (mean 86%), respectively. The response of the plasma levels of epinephrine, irβ-E, corticotropin and cortisol to heat exposure was variable. Compared to the control situation, no statistically significant effect of heat exposure on the plasma levels of these hormones was found.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adlercreutz H, Kuoppasalmi K, Kosunen K, Pakarinen A, Karonen S-L (1976) Plasma cortisol, growth hormone (GH), and prolactin levels during exposure to intense heat. IRCS Med Sci 4:456
Ben-David M, Schenker JG (1983) Transient hyperprolactinemia: A correctable cause of idiopathic female infertility. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 57:442–444
Cahill CA, Matthews JD, Akil H (1983) Human plasma ß-endorphin-like peptides: a rapid high recovery extraction technique and validation of radioimmunoassay. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 56:992–997
Holaday JW, Wei E, Loh HH, Li CH (1978) Endorphins may function in heat adaptation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 75:2923–2927
Hussi E, Sonck T, Pösö H, Remes J, Eisalo A, Jänne J (1977) Plasma catecholamines in Finnish sauna. Ann Clin Res 9:301–304
Jacobs HS (1982) Amenorrhea in athletes. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 89:498–500
Jezova D, Vigas M, Tatar P, Jurcovicova J, Palat M (1985) Rise in plasmaβ-endorphin and ACTH in response to hyperthermia in sauna. Horm Metabol Res 17:693–694
Kauppila A, Kirkinen P, Orava M, Vihko R (1984) Effects of metoclopramide-induced hyperprolactinemia during early follicular development on human ovarian function. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 59:875–881
Laatikainen T, Virtanen T, Apter D (1986) Plasmaβ-endorphin immunoreactivity in exercise-associated amenorrhea. Am J Obstet Gynecol 154:94–97
Leppäluoto J, Ranta T, Laisi U, Partanen J, Virkkunen P, Lybeck H (1975) Strong heat exposure and adenohypophyseal hormone secretion in man. Horm Metab Res 7:439–440
Leppäluoto J, Huttunen P, Hirvonen J, Väänänen A, Tuominen M, Vuori J (1986) Endocrine effects of repeated sauna bathing. Acta Physiol Scand 128:467–470
Nakanishi S, Inoue A, Kita T, Nakamura M, Cang ACY, Cohen SN, Numa S (1979) Nucleotide sequence of cloned cDNA for bovine corticotropin-beta-lipotropin precursor. Nature 278:423–427
Nicholson WE, Davis DR, Sherell BJ, Orth DN (1984) Rapid radioimmunoassay for corticotropin in unextracted human plasma. Clin Chem. 30:259–265
Pettersson J, Hussi E, Jänne J (1980) Stability of human plasma catecholamines. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 40:297–303
Peuler JD, Johnson GA (1977) Simultaneous single isotope radioenzymatic assay of plasma norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine. Life Sci 21:625–636
Procope B-J (1965) Effect of repeated increase of body temperature on human sperm cells. Int J Fertil 10:333–339
Rowell LB (1974) Human cardiovascular adjustements to exercise and thermal stress. Physiol Rev 54:75–79
Russel JB, Mitchell DE, Musey PI, Collins DC (1984) The role ofβ-endorphins and catechol estrogens on the hypothalamic — pituitary axis in female athletes. Fertil Steril 42:690–695
Taggart P, Parkinson P, Carruthers M (1972) Cardiac responses to thermal, physical, and emotional stress. Br Med J 3:71–76
Yen SSC (1986) Prolactin in human reproduction. In: Yen SSC, Jaffe RB (ed) Reproductive endocrinology. WB Saunders Company, Philadelphia, p 246
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Laatikainen, T., Salminen, K., Kohvakka, A. et al. Response of plasma endorphins, prolactin and catecholamines in women to intense heat in a sauna. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 57, 98–102 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691246
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691246