beta-endorphin and Premenstrual-Syndrome

Topics: beta-Endorphin; Diagnosis, Differential; Diuretics; Estrogens; Female; Humans; Neurotransmitter Agents; Premenstrual Syndrome; Progesterone; Psychotherapy; Reference Standards; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; Water-Electrolyte Imbalance

The purpose of this article is to review the literature on the effects of the menstrual cycle on dependent variables in mood disorder research to inform investigators which physiological measures are likely to be significantly affected by menstrual cycle fluctuations and precisely how they might be affected. The following variables are discussed: prolactin; growth hormone; the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis (including thyrotropin, triiodothyronine, and thyroxine); the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (cortisol, corticotropin, and beta-endorphin); melatonin; sleep; body temperature; and neurotransmitter activity (serotonergic and adrenergic systems). Body temperature and plasma and urinary norepinephrine vary predictably over the menstrual cycle. Prolactin and beta-endorphin may have peaks in the periovulatory phase, whereas serotonin levels in platelet-poor plasma may reach a nadir at that time. Triiodothyronine, thyroxine, cortisol, and melatonin do not appear to vary systematically over the course of the menstrual cycle, whereas the data for growth hormone, thyrotropin, corticotropin, and sleep are inconclusive.

Topics: Adult; beta-Endorphin; Body Temperature; Circadian Rhythm; Depressive Disorder; Female; Growth Hormone; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Melatonin; Menstrual Cycle; Mood Disorders; Premenstrual Syndrome; Prolactin; Research Design; Seasons; Serotonin; Sleep; Thyroid Hormones

To probe into the mechanism of substance-partitioned moxibustion in treatment of primary dysmenorrhea (PD) of cold-damp stagnation type.. The treatment group (105 cases of PD) were treated with substance-partitioned moxibustion and the control group (104 cases) were treated with Chinese drug Yueyue-shu. Their therapeutic effects were observed. Plasma beta-endorphin contents in menstrual period were determined before and after treatment in 40 patients of each group.. The total effective rate of 95.2% in the substance partitioned moxibustion group was better than 85.6% in the control group (P < 0.05); after treatment, plasma beta-endorphin content significantly increased in the substance-partitioned moxibustion group (P < 0.01).. Substance-partitioned moxibustion has obvious therapeutic effect on primary dysmenorrhea of cold-damp stagnation type, which is carried out possibly through regulating the plasma beta-endorphin content as one of the mechanisms.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; beta-Endorphin; Cold Temperature; Dysmenorrhea; Female; Humans; Menstrual Cycle; Moxibustion; Premenstrual Syndrome; Thermosensing

Topics: beta-Endorphin; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Mood Disorders; Naltrexone; Opioid Peptides; Pilot Projects; Placebo Effect; Premenstrual Syndrome; Surveys and Questionnaires

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a cyclic mood disorder, widely believed, yet not conclusively shown, to be of endocrine etiology. This study examines basal levels of several hormones reported, albeit inconsistently, to differ in women with PMS compared with controls.. Subjects (10 PMS patients and 10 controls) had their blood drawn for one full menstrual cycle. Subjects' mood and behavioral symptoms were assessed by daily self-ratings and objective ratings. Plasma was assayed for total and free testosterone (T), beta-endorphin (beta-EP), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and cortisol.. No differences were observed between the PMS and control groups for beta-EP, ACTH, or cortisol. PMS subjects had significantly lower total and free T plasma levels with a blunting of the normal periovulatory peak, a finding that may be epiphenomenal to age.. This study does not confirm previous reports of abnormalities in plasma levels of either ACTH or beta-EP in women with PMS; it also fails to replicate a previous observation of high free T levels in women with PMS. These results are not supportive of a primary endocrine abnormality in PMS patients.

Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Adult; beta-Endorphin; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Menstrual Cycle; Pituitary Hormones; Premenstrual Syndrome; Testosterone

Central nervous system hormones have been linked to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and beta-endorphin (beta-EP) is thought to be involved in the pathophysiology. We have tested the efficacy of the synthetic steroid Org OD 14 (tibolone) in the treatment of PMS. This prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind cross-over study included 18 ovulatory women with PMS as ascertained by a visual linear analogue scale (VLAS). The women in each group received either 2.5 mg per day Org OD 14 (n = 9) or a multi-vitamin pill as placebo (n = 9) for 3 months. Treatments were then crossed over to a placebo for a further 3 months. VLAS ratings were evaluated at the end of each menstrual cycle throughout the study. Peripheral beta-EP concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay on days 7 and 25 of each menstrual cycle. Changes in VLAS score and beta-EP concentrations from baseline were calculated and analysed by Student's paired t-test. Improvements in VLAS scores and beta-EP concentrations were evident during the second and third months of tibolone treatment. At the end of the third month, there was a significant improvement in VLAS scores of all symptom categories compared with pretreatment and placebo during treatment with tibolone (P < 0.05). Similar results were obtained in the first placebo group when switched to tibolone. Beta-EP concentrations were not significantly different between the study groups at the initial cycle (15.9 +/- 3.6 versus 17.2 +/- 2.3 pg/ml). The increase in beta-EP concentration was significantly greater on day 25 of the menstrual cycle in women treated with tibolone compared with baseline and placebo group (22.5 +/- 4.4 versus 15.9 +/- 3.6 and 17.2 +/- 2.3 pg/ml respectively, P < 0.05). Our data confirm the clinical efficacy of tibolone in PMS-related symptoms, as well as its effects on serum beta-EP concentrations in patients with PMS.

Topics: Adult; Anabolic Agents; beta-Endorphin; Cross-Over Studies; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Norpregnenes; Premenstrual Syndrome; Treatment Outcome

To further investigate the efficacy of progesterone in the treatment of the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).. From an initial cohort of 25 subjects diagnosed with moderate to severe PMS, 17 reproductive age females completed the 7-month, double-blind, placebo controlled trial using 200-mg vaginal progesterone suppositories. Multiple modalities for evaluating symptoms were employed, including the Spielberger self-evaluation rating, the Beck depression inventory, and the Hamilton anxiety scale. In addition, each subject was interviewed by a psychiatrist on a monthly basis; ovulation was determined monthly using a basal body temperature chart; serum hormonal assays included beta endorphin, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol, and prolactin.. Hormonal assays confirmed no differences between treatment and control groups. Overall scores on all test vehicles were likewise not significantly different between the two groups; however, in the subcategory of nervous symptoms, a significant improvement was found in symptoms relating to tension, mood swings, irritability, anxiety and lack of control.. Metabolites of progesterone (pregnanolone and allopregnanolone) may play a physiologic role as anxiolytic agents, perhaps modifying mood and anxiety; the current study confirms the utility of twice daily, 200-mg progesterone vaginal suppositories, in the alleviation of some PMS symptoms relating to anxiety and irritability. Further evaluation may be warranted to ascertain which patients in the known heterogeneous PMS population may be most likely to benefit from such treatment.

Topics: Adult; Affect; Anxiety; beta-Endorphin; Body Temperature; Cohort Studies; Double-Blind Method; Estradiol; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Humans; Irritable Mood; Luteinizing Hormone; Middle Aged; Nervous System Diseases; Pessaries; Premenstrual Syndrome; Progesterone; Prolactin

To investigate the theory of brain opioid activity disregulation in premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and to discover the changes of central beta-endorphin activity during the menstrual cycle in PMS patients.. Prospective study.. University-based PMS clinic.. All the patients and controls were between 20 and 45 years of age, with regular menses for at least six previous cycles. All the patients demonstrated at least 30% score increase in designated symptoms on the Visual Linear Analog Scale during the luteal phase compared with the follicular phase. In contrast, the score changes in the controls were < 30%.. All subjects underwent LH-releasing hormone (LH-RH) stimulation test on days 2 to 3 of the cycle. Five naloxone infusions were administered on days 7 to 8 and 10 to 11, 1 day, 3 to 4 days, and 12 to 13 days after the LH surge as detected by the ovulation prediction kit.. Luteinizing Hormone levels were recorded for 1 hour, followed by naloxone infusion at 2 mg/h for 4 hours. Blood samples were collected for LH tests every 15 minutes for 1 hour before, during, and for 1 hour after the infusion.. All subjects had similar LH response to LH-RH. The integrated area of LH response to naloxone as expressed by percentage of the baseline on each of the 5 days did not show significant differences between the patients and the controls.. The central beta-endorphin changes, if any, in PMS patients could not be demonstrated in our study.

Topics: Adult; beta-Endorphin; Female; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Luteal Phase; Luteinizing Hormone; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Premenstrual Syndrome; Prospective Studies

The results of long-acting, injectible gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) and placebo treatment of severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) patients with regular menstrual cycles and without known psychiatric disorders are reported. Diagnosis was made according to the Menstrual Symptom Questionnaire and Menstrual Symptom Diary scores. In a placebo-controlled, crossover study, 12 subjects were given either normal saline or depot leuprolide acetate (7.5 mg) every 30 days, starting with the onset of menses. Each subject received the same agent twice before switching to the other and did not known which agent was given. A significant decrease in PMS symptoms was reported by all subjects in both treatment regimens. Biweekly venous blood sampling showed significant elevations of beta-endorphin levels and suppression of gonadotropin concentrations in subjects receiving depot leuprolide treatment. Short-term treatment of severe PMS with an injectible, long-acting GnRH-a may not treat the disease more than do saline injections in a group of women selected by certain criteria.

Topics: Adult; beta-Endorphin; Delayed-Action Preparations; Female; Gonadotropins, Pituitary; Humans; Injections, Intramuscular; Leuprolide; Middle Aged; Premenstrual Syndrome; Treatment Outcome

The authors studied the effects of clonidine on a subgroup of women who had symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome; the subgroup comprised 24 women aged 19 to 41 years who had "moderate" to "severe" cyclic decreases in beta-endorphin levels. All of the women received clonidine and placebo in a double-blind cross-over design that spanned four menstrual cycles. Clonidine was significantly (p less than .05) more effective than placebo in reducing symptoms.

Topics: Adult; beta-Endorphin; Clinical Trials as Topic; Clonidine; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Placebos; Premenstrual Syndrome; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales

Topics: beta-Endorphin; Clinical Trials as Topic; Double-Blind Method; Endorphins; Female; Humans; Naloxone; Premenstrual Syndrome

This study examined unique versus shared stress and pain-related phenotypes associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and prior major depressive disorder (MDD). Sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis measures were assessed at rest and during mental stress, as well as sensitivity to cold pressor and tourniquet ischemic pain tasks in four groups of women: (1) non-PMDD with no prior MDD (N=18); (2) non-PMDD with prior MDD (N=9); (3) PMDD with no prior MDD (N=17); (4) PMDD with prior MDD (N=10). PMDD women showed blunted SNS responses to stress compared to non-PMDD women, irrespective of prior MDD; while women with prior MDD showed exaggerated diastolic blood pressure responses to stress versus never depressed women, irrespective of PMDD. However, only in women with histories of MDD did PMDD women have lower cortisol concentrations than non-PMDD women, and only in non-PMDD women was MDD associated with reduced cold pressor pain sensitivity. These results suggest both unique phenotypic differences between women with PMDD and those with a history of MDD, but also indicate that histories of MDD may have special relevance for PMDD.

Topics: Adult; Analysis of Variance; beta-Endorphin; Blood Pressure; Chi-Square Distribution; Cold Temperature; Depressive Disorder, Major; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Heart Rate; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Mathematics; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests; Norepinephrine; Pain Measurement; Phenotype; Premenstrual Syndrome; Progesterone; Rest; Speech; Surveys and Questionnaires; Sympathetic Nervous System; Tourniquets; Young Adult

This study examined pain sensitivity and pain modularity mechanisms (e.g., beta-endorphin levels, blood pressure) in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD; n = 27) and healthy controls (n = 27) during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. Physiological measures were taken during rest and ischemic pain testing. In both cycle phases, PMDD women (a) displayed lower resting cortisol and beta-endorphin levels and (b) exhibited shorter pain threshold and tolerance times and greater pain unpleasantness ratings during pain. PMDD women also reported greater pain unpleasantness and intensity and had lower beta-endorphin levels in their luteal phase and tended to display higher blood pressure levels at rest and during pain testing. Results suggest that endogenous opioids may be pathophysiologically relevant to PMDD and that the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis may modulate pain sensitivity in PMDD.

Topics: Adult; Arousal; beta-Endorphin; Blood Pressure; Female; Humans; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Menstrual Cycle; Pain Measurement; Pain Threshold; Premenstrual Syndrome

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is the new terminology used in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). It more rigorously defines criteria for what historically has been referred to as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Based on studies of its phenomenology and course, PMDD was categorized in DSM-IV as a depressive mood disorder. Findings support low serotonin and melatonin metabolism in PMDD compared with healthy control subjects, and an increasing number of rigorous studies report a reduction of symptoms with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Topics: Adult; beta-Endorphin; Depression; Female; Humans; Melatonin; Menstrual Cycle; Neurosecretory Systems; Premenstrual Syndrome; Psychotherapy; Risk Factors; Serotonin

To determine whether changes in peripheral beta-endorphin levels during the periovulatory phase are associated with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).. Twenty-one PMS patients and ten controls were studied. All were in general good health and had no history of psychiatric disorders. They were between 21-44 years of age, had had regular menses for at least six previous cycles, and were carefully selected by charting the Visual Linear Analogue Scale and basal body temperature daily for 1 month. After an overnight fast, the subjects had blood drawn between 8:00 and 10:00 AM daily for 8 days, starting on the tenth day of the menstrual cycle, for one cycle. Beta-endorphin and LH were measured by radioimmunoassay. The day of the LH peak was defined as day LH 0. The beta-endorphin levels were expressed as the number of days before or after the LH surge.. Beta-endorphin levels throughout the periovulatory phase were lower in PMS patients than in controls, and the differences were more remarkable on LH days 0 and 4.. Our data suggest that an aberration of normal changes in beta-endorphin activity in PMS patients may occur around the time of ovulation.

Topics: Adult; beta-Endorphin; Female; Humans; Ovulation; Premenstrual Syndrome

1. Forty six women presenting with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) were studied. Ages ranged from 21 to 32. All women answered a questionnaire based on DSM-III-R criteria. They then had serum beta-endorphin levels drawn on day 1 and day 20 of their menstrual Cycle. 2. Beta-endorphin levels were compared with symptom presentation. Such symptoms as anxiety, food cravings and physical discomfort were associated with significant decline in beta-endorphin. Other symptoms were found equally distributed in both groups. The existence or absence of beta-endorphin decline in specific PMS subgroup was postulated.

Topics: Adult; beta-Endorphin; Female; Humans; Premenstrual Syndrome; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Surveys and Questionnaires

Thirty-eight subjects who met criteria for the DSM-III-R diagnosis late luteal phase dysphoric disorder (LLPDD) were compared with 18 controls in 5-HT uptake kinetics of the platelets in the premenstrual (day 26) as well as in the postmenstrual phase (day 4) of the cycle. Furthermore, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) was administered to LLPDD patients and controls in both phases of the cycle, to investigate pituitary sensitivity for serotonin. Plasma samples for the measurement of cortisol and beta-endorphin were taken before and after oral administration of 200 mg 5-HTP, and considered as an index of pituitary-adrenal function. LLPDD was not associated with a lower platelet 5-HT uptake and content in the premenstrual phase of the cycle, compared with the postmenstrual phase. Patients appeared not to be different from controls in 5-HT uptake kinetics of platelets in the premenstrual phase of the cycle. No main differences were observed between LLPDD patients and controls in their ability to respond with secretion of cortisol and beta-endorphin to 5-HTP stimulation, either in the premenstrual, or in the postmenstrual phase. This observation could not be attributed to differences in 5-HTP metabolism. The findings of the present study do not support a specific role for 5-HT in the pathophysiology LLPDD.

Topics: 5-Hydroxytryptophan; Adult; beta-Endorphin; Blood Platelets; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Luteal Phase; Premenstrual Syndrome; Serotonin

Eight women with prospectively documented premenstrual syndrome (PMS) underwent multiple samplings for estradiol, progesterone, prolactin, cortisol, and plasma 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) during an asymptomatic midcycle (late follicular) and a symptomatic premenstrual (late luteal) phase of the menstrual cycle. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was collected for analysis of MHPG, norepinephrine (NE), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), homovanillic acid (HVA), tyrosine, tryptophan, beta-endorphin, prostaglandins, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and arginine vasopressin (AVP). In subsequent months, a dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and a thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test were performed during midcycle and premenstrual phases. Significant results included increased CSF concentrations of MHPG in the premenstrual, as compared with the midcycle, phase of the cycle, and increased plasma cortisol concentrations during the midcycle phase. The DST showed a 62% overall rate of nonsuppression, irrespective of menstrual cycle phase. Though there were no abnormalities of thyrotropin-stimulating hormone (TSH) after TRH stimulation, the mean delta maximum prolactin values after TRH stimulation were higher than reported normal values both at midcycle and premenstrually. These pilot data suggest hormonal axes that might be worthy of further systematic investigation in future studies of PMS.

Topics: Adult; Affect; beta-Endorphin; Female; Gonadal Steroid Hormones; Hormones; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; Premenstrual Syndrome; Prolactin; Prostaglandins

The beta-endorphin hypothesis of late luteal phase dysphoric disorder (premenstrual syndrome or L2D2) was tested. Twenty-two PMS patients were compared to twenty-two controls. Levels of beta-endorphin, ACTH, FSH, LH, cortisol, prolactin and TRH were measured on the first and twentieth days after menses. PMS subjects exhibited a significantly greater drop in the opiate, beta-endorphin, (p less than .001) than controls. No relationship or significant e was seen with the other hormones/transmitters tested. The symptoms of PMS may be due to noradrenergic rebound following beta-endorphin decline. Symptomatic and pharmacological morphine withdrawal and manic phase of bipolar disorder are discussed as possible models for L2D2.

Topics: Adult; beta-Endorphin; Female; Humans; Luteal Phase; Premenstrual Syndrome; Reference Values

Topics: beta-Endorphin; Energy Intake; Female; Humans; Hyperphagia; Premenstrual Syndrome

The beta-endorphin (BE) hypothesis of premenstrual symptomatology was assessed in 15 healthy, drug-free normally cycling women. Cycle-phase assignment was aided by measurement of basal body temperature and plasma progesterone. For the entire group, peripheral plasma BE concentrations by radioimmunoassay (with substantial beta-lipotropin (BL) cross-reactivity) were generally unvarying across the menstrual cycle. High and low symptom subgroups were defined by retrospective and prospective daily self-reports of premenstrual changes. For the cycle studied, moderate to extreme symptom severity was defined according to premenstrual increases in impaired concentration, water retention and negative affect. No between-groups difference was observed for any cycle-phase for absolute values of beta-endorphin (BE/BL). When difference scores were examined, there was a positive time-lag correlation between follicular-to-periovulatory changes in BE/BL and the subsequent luteal increase in impaired concentration over the periovulatory baseline (rs = 0.82); considering the number of comparisons, however, the correlation fails to reach significance. The salience of various types of stressors on mood was assessed; there was a trend for "task-demands" to account for a greater percentage of negative attributions premenstrually compared to post-menstrually, for the entire group. The relative inconsistency in plasma BE/BL from cycle to cycle may be related in part, to the lack of stability in certain cycle characteristics from month to month. Future studies of BE/BL across the menstrual cycle may benefit from a demanding task in a provocative stress-paradigm.

Topics: Adult; beta-Endorphin; beta-Lipotropin; Female; Humans; Menstrual Cycle; Premenstrual Syndrome; Prospective Studies; Psychological Tests; Retrospective Studies

Plasma samples were collected twice during the follicular phase and three times during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle in 12 women with premenstrual tension (PMT) and in 14 control subjects without symptoms. Concentrations of beta-endorphin (beta-E) immunoreactivity, cortisol, oestradiol, progesterone and LH were determined. Comparison of the mean concentrations of LH, cortisol, oestradiol and progesterone did not reveal any statistically significant differences between the PMT and the control groups. In the early luteal phase, the mean plasma beta-E immunoreactivity was lower in the PMT group (10.7, SE 0.7 pg/ml) than in the control group (14.6, SE 1.6 pg/ml, P less than 0.05), suggesting that endorphin secretion is decreased in PMT. No significant change in the plasma beta-E level was found in the PMT patients between the follicular and luteal phase when symptoms appeared. This does not exclude the possibility that in the central nervous system abnormal changes occur in the activity of endogenous opioids in PMT.

Topics: Adult; beta-Endorphin; Endorphins; Female; Humans; Menstrual Cycle; Premenstrual Syndrome

Plasma beta-endorphin (beta-EP), beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH), and cortisol concentrations were measured by perimenstrual period in 11 patients affected by premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and in 8 asymptomatic healthy volunteers. Blood samples were collected every 2 to 3 days, for 1 month, starting from midcycle. The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) was administered during the testing period. Plasma beta-LPH and cortisol levels remain stable during the perimenstrual period, in both controls and PMS patients. On the contrary, PMS patients showed a decrease of plasma beta-EP in the week preceding menses and during the first days of menstrual flow. Beta-EP values of PMS patients regain normal levels during the next follicular phase. No changes of beta-EP levels were recorded in asymptomatic women. MDQ scores revealed that PMS patients complained of water retention, pain discomfort, and mood swings. The transient and reversible decrease of plasma beta-EP in PMS patients near to and at menses remains to be clarified.

Topics: Adult; beta-Endorphin; beta-Lipotropin; Endorphins; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Menstrual Cycle; Premenstrual Syndrome; Time Factors

Topics: beta-Endorphin; Endorphins; Female; Humans; Neuropeptides; Premenstrual Syndrome

The relationship between premenstrual tension syndrome and dietary intake was studied in a population of 20 young adult women. Caloric intake was measured during the 10 days preceding and following the menstrual cycle. Those women with more severe symptoms recorded a greater increase in caloric intake. Caloric intake during the premenstrual period also increased with age. It is hypothesized that this caloric intake may be due to increased beta-endorphin levels.

Topics: Adult; Age Factors; beta-Endorphin; Endorphins; Energy Intake; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Female; Humans; Hyperphagia; Premenstrual Syndrome

To determine whether changes in circulating levels of neuropeptides are associated with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), 20 women with the diagnosis of PMS and 20 asymptomatic subjects were studied. The premenstrual beta-endorphin levels were significantly lower in PMS patients (P = 0.0001). The decrease in beta-endorphin levels during the luteal phase, compared with the follicular phase, in PMS patients was also significant (P = 0.0002). Neurotensin, human pancreatic peptide, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, gastrin, and bombesin-like immunoreactivity levels did not reveal significant changes between days 7 and 25 in patients with PMS.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; beta-Endorphin; Bombesin; Endorphins; Female; Gastrins; Humans; Menstrual Cycle; Middle Aged; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Neurotensin; Pancreatic Polypeptide; Premenstrual Syndrome; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

Topics: beta-Endorphin; Endorphins; Estrogens; Female; Humans; Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones; Premenstrual Syndrome; Progesterone; Prolactin; Vasopressins

Topics: Aldosterone; Angiotensin II; beta-Endorphin; Diagnosis, Differential; Ego; Endorphins; Female; Gender Identity; Gonadal Steroid Hormones; Humans; Neurotic Disorders; Oedipus Complex; Premenstrual Syndrome; Prolactin; Social Adjustment; Social Environment

The authors propose that premenstrual tension syndrome (PMS) is the result of beta-endorphin withdrawal. Sixteen women were included in this study which measured beta-endorphin levels on the 7th and 24th day of each woman's menstrual cycle. A significant decline in beta-endorphin levels was noted during the progression of the cycle. The severity of symptoms, however, was inversely proportional to the amount of decline in beta-endorphin levels. It is hypothesized that the attenuation of endorphin decline may be a compensatory mechanism to moderate the severity of PMS symptoms.

Topics: Adult; Age Factors; beta-Endorphin; Endorphins; Female; Humans; Menstrual Cycle; Premenstrual Syndrome