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Effect of naltrexone treatment on the treadmill exercise-induced hormone release in amenorrheic women

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Abstract

The effect of an acute physical stress on hormone secretions before and after a 10-day naltrexone treatment in untrained healthy and amenorrheic women was investigated. Plasma levels of pituitary (LH, FSH, prolactin, GH, ACTH, gB-endor-phin) and adrenal (Cortisol, androstenedione, testosterone) hormones were measured at rest and in response to 60 min of physical exercise. The test was done both before and after a 10-day naltrexone (50 mg/day) treatment. Graded levels of treadmill exercise (50, 70 and 90% of maximal oxygen uptake (V02) every 20 min) was used as physical stressor. While mean ± SE plasma LH levels in control women were higher than in amenorrheic patients and increased following the naltrexone treatment (p<0.01), no significant differences of basal plasma hormonal levels were observed between amenorrheic and eu-menorrheic women, both before and after naltrexone treatment. Physical exercise at 90% V02 induced a significant increase in plasma GH, ACTH, gB-endorphin, Cortisol, androstenedione and testosterone levels in controls before naltrexone treatment (plt;0.01). The mean increase in plasma androstenedione and testosterone levels in control women was significantly higher after naltrexone treatment (p<0.01). In amenorrheic patients before naltrexone, physical exercise induced an increase in plasma prolactin and GH levels, but not in plasma ACTH, gB-endorphin, Cortisol, testosterone and androstenedione. After naltrexone treatment, the exercise induced a significant plasma ACTH, gB-endorphin and Cortisol levels, while the increase of plasma prolactin levels was significantly higher than before treatment (p<0.01). In conclusion, the present data showing that physical conditioning in amenorrheic women does not induce the release of pituitary-adrenal cortex hormones and that this hormone is present following a naltrexone treatment suggest an involvement of opioidergic pathway in the neuroendocrine impairment of amenorrheic patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto Clinica Ostetrica e Ginecologica, University of Modena, Via Del Pozzo 71, 41100, Modena, Italy

    G. Botticelli, L. Aguzzoli, P. Florio, R. E. Nappi,  Felice Petraglia & A. R. Genazzani

  2. Istituto Clinica Ostetrica e Ginecologica, University of Parma, Parma, Italy

    A. Bacchi Modena, D. Bresciani & P. Villa

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  1. G. Botticelli
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  2. A. Bacchi Modena
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  8. Felice Petraglia
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  9. A. R. Genazzani
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Botticelli, G., Modena, A.B., Bresciani, D. et al. Effect of naltrexone treatment on the treadmill exercise-induced hormone release in amenorrheic women. J Endocrinol Invest 15, 839–847 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03348817

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03348817

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