beta-endorphin and Hot-Flashes

Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) are common around menopause. Menopausal hormone therapy is the most effective treatment for VMS. Physical exercise has been proposed as an alternative treatment since physically active women have previously been found to experience fewer VMS than inactive women. In our randomised controlled trial on resistance training to treat VMS, sympoms were reduced by 50% in the intervention group compared with the control group.. To propose a mechanism to explain how resistance training reduced VMS and to assess if luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were affected in accordance with the proposed mechanism.. A substudy of a randomized controlled trial on 65 postmenopausal women with VMS and low physical activity who were randomised to 15 weeks of resistance training three times per week (n = 33) or to a control group (n = 32). To be regarded compliant to the intervention we predecided a mean of two training sessions per week. The daily number of VMS were registered before and during the 15 weeks. Blood samples were drawn for analysis of LH and FSH at baseline and after 15 weeks.. LH decreased significantly in the compliant intervention group compared with the control group (-4.0±10.6 versus 2.9±9.0, p = 0.028 with Mann-Whitney U test). FSH also decreased in the compliant intervention group compared with the control group, however not enough to reach statistical significance (-3.5±16.3 versus 3.2±18.2, p = 0.063 with Mann-Whitney U test). As previously published the number of hot flushes decreased significantly more in the intervention group than in the control group but there was no association between change in LH or FSH and in number of VMS.. We propose that endogenous opiods such as β-endorphin or dynorphin produced during resistance training decreased VMS by stimulating KNDγ-neurons to release neurokinin B to the hypothalamic thermoregulatory centre. Through effects on KNDγ-neurons, β-endorphin could also inhibit GnRH and thereby decrease the production of LH and FSH. The significanty decreased LH in the compliant intervention group compared with the control group was in accordance with the proposed mechanism.

Topics: beta-Endorphin; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Hot Flashes; Humans; Luteinizing Hormone; Menopause; Postmenopause; Resistance Training

Depressive symptoms that occur with the onset of menopause are accompanied by changes in circulating neurotransmitters levels; these biochemical variations are considered to cause psychoemotional symptoms.. To assess the effect of DHEAsupplementation and its efficacy for relieving symptoms of emotional and psychological distress, as well as the action on circulating neurotransmitters in perimenopausal women.. An open, comparative, clinical study included twenty perimenopausal women who received oral DHEA doses and ten women acted as comparison group.. the Endocrine Research Unit, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City. Interventions and main outcome measures consisted of oral DHEA doses of 50 mg/day for six months. Green scale for climacteric women and Quality of Life Menopause Scale (QUALMS) were used to measure emotional and psychological symptoms and well-being. Serum levels of DHEA-S, dopamine, serotonin, and beta-endorphin were quantified by specific assays at baseline and at the end of the treatment.. Alleviation of psychoemotional symptoms was observed in all but 4 treated women. Baseline levels of serum DHEA-S, serotonin and beta-endorphin increased significantly (p < 0.001) from 2.1 +/- 0.5 to 8.3 +/- 2.1 micromol/L, 215.3 +/- 86.4 to 310.4 + 150.1 ng/mL, and from 9.8 +/- 2.1 to 16.2 +/- 7.1 pmol/L respectively (means +/- SE) after treatment. In contrast, dopamine levels were unchanged.. DHEA relieved emotional and psychological symptoms, and elevated both serotonin and beta-endorphin levels in perimenopausal women.

Topics: Affective Symptoms; beta-Endorphin; Dehydroepiandrosterone; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; Dopamine; Female; Hot Flashes; Humans; Middle Aged; Perimenopause; Serotonin

Topics: beta-Endorphin; Female; Hot Flashes; Humans; Neurotransmitter Agents; Postmenopause