Enhanced Nocturnal Melatonin Secretion in Women with Functional Secondary Amenorrhea: Relationship to Opioid System and Endogenous Estrogen Levels

Okatani, Yuji; Sagara, Yusuke

doi:10.1159/000184277

Cited by 24 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Patients with AN also have elevated nocturnal levels of 6-sulfatoximelatonin (the principal metabolite excreted in the urine) both at diagnosis and after weight recuperation if the amenorrhea persists (49,50). This could be due to insufficient weight gain or the need for a longer period of weight recuperation.…”

Section: Hypothalamic -Pituitary-ovarian Axismentioning

confidence: 99%

Anorexia nervosa in female adolescents: endocrine and bone mineral density disturbances

Argente

2002

European Journal of Endocrinology

146

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Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a chronic childhood psychiatric illness that involves a reduction in caloric intake, loss of weight and amenorrhea, either primary or secondary. The diagnostic criteria for AN have been established by the American Psychiatric Association. The prevalence of this disease amongst adolescents and young adults is between 0.5 and 1% and the incidence of new cases per year is approximately 5-10/100 000 between 15 and 19 years of age. A number of endocrine and metabolic disturbances have been described in patients with AN including amenorrhea-oligomenorrhea, delayed puberty, hypothyroidism, hypercortisolism, IGF-I deficiency, electrolyte abnormalities, hypoglycemia and hypophosphatemia, among others. In addition to prolonged amenorrhea, osteopenia and osteoporosis are the most frequent complications leading to clinically relevant fractures and increased fracture risk throughout life. Patients exhibit an alteration in the hypothalamic -pituitary -gonadal axis, which is responsible for the menstrual disorders. The increase in gonadotropin secretion that can be observed after ponderal recuperation suggests that malnutrition could be the most important mechanism involved in the decrease in gonadotropin secretion. The loss of fat tissue as a consequence of nutrient restriction has been associated with hypoleptinemia and abnormal secretion of peptides implicated in food control (neuropeptide Y, melanocortins and corticotropin-releasing factor, among others). A review of the endocrine abnormalities, disturbances in neurotransmitters, as well as a detailed analysis of bone markers and bone mineral density in patients with AN is described.

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Section: Hypothalamic -Pituitary-ovarian Axismentioning

confidence: 99%

Anorexia nervosa in female adolescents: endocrine and bone mineral density disturbances

Argente

2002

European Journal of Endocrinology

146

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“…Melatonin may affect, or be affected by, the production of sex steroids, as well as play a role in the intraovarian regulation of steroidogenesis (10). Elevated melatonin levels have been measured for women with secondary amenorrhea, perhaps due to decreased estrogen levels (28). We are currently evaluating the reproductive hormone profiles of the flight attendants and teachers in this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring and identifying large-study metrics for circadian rhythm disruption in female flight attendants

Grajewski¹,

Nguyen²,

Whelan³

et al. 2003

Scand J Work Environ Health

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“…Furthermore, it acts in the synthesis of estrogen by inhibiting the aromatase enzyme that controls its interconversion from its androgenic precursors, altering the whole blastocyst implantation process and development of the follicle. 14 Experimentally, melatonin prevents the growth and promotion of spontaneous or chemically induced mammary tumors in rodents. This effect has also been observed in cell cultures (in vitro).…”

Section: Melatonin and Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, melatonin causes seasonal variation changes in the rates of fertilization, embryo quality, sperm concentration and chromatin condensation in sperm. 21 In females, the influence of melatonin on the reproductive function can be inferred from studies that indicate that high levels of melatonin cause amenorrhea, 14 decrease in gonadotropin secretion and the secretion of prolactin in response to the photoperiod. 22 Melatonin also causes changes in the secretion of FSH and LH hormones which regulate gonadal function and activity, 14 as when pregnant ewes were maintained in constant light for 138 days (146 gestation days) there was a decrease in melatonin levels and increased metabolic activity in the reproductive organs.…”

Section: Melatonin and Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…21 In females, the influence of melatonin on the reproductive function can be inferred from studies that indicate that high levels of melatonin cause amenorrhea, 14 decrease in gonadotropin secretion and the secretion of prolactin in response to the photoperiod. 22 Melatonin also causes changes in the secretion of FSH and LH hormones which regulate gonadal function and activity, 14 as when pregnant ewes were maintained in constant light for 138 days (146 gestation days) there was a decrease in melatonin levels and increased metabolic activity in the reproductive organs. Moreover, pinealectomy associated with melatonin treatment in pregnant ewes changed the daily pattern of fetal breathing movements, suggesting that photoperiodic information provides the fetus with circadian variations through maternal melatonin.…”

Section: Melatonin and Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of melatonin and prolactin in reproduction: review of literature

Tenorio

Simões

Teixeira

et al. 2015

Rev. Assoc. Med. Bras.

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Conflict of interest: noneThe pineal gland is responsible for producing a hormone called melatonin (MEL), and is accepted as the gland that regulates reproduction in mammals. Prolactin (PRL) also exhibits reproductive activity in animals in response to photoperiod. It is known that the concentrations of PRL are high in the summer and reduced during winter, the opposite of what is seen with melatonin in these seasons. In placental mammals, both prolactin and melatonin affect implantation, which is considered a critical point of pregnancy, since a successful pregnancy requires the development of a synchronous interaction between the endometrium and blastocyst for placental development. It is also known that PRL levels during pregnancy are essential for the maintenance of pregnancy, because this hormone induces the corpus luteum to produce progesterone, in addition to stimulating blastocyst implantation to maintain pregnancy and form the placenta. However, melatonin levels in plasma have also been shown to increase during pregnancy, peaking at the end of this period, which suggests that this hormone plays an important role in the maintenance of pregnancy. Thus, it is clear that treatment with prolactin or melatonin interferes with the processes responsible for the development and maintenance of pregnancy.Keywords: pineal gland, pregnancy, progesterone, estrogens. pineal glandThe pineal gland develops from the roof of the diencephalon, behind the third ventricle, measuring approximately 8x4mm in adults, and weighing approximately 0.1 to 0.18g. It originates from an evagination from the roof of the diencephalon, acquires a cone-like shape, and is located in the epithalamic region between the posterior and habenular commissures. A small ependymal recess from the third ventricle extends a short rod, which allows the connection of the pineal body to the roof of the diencephalon. It is almost completely surrounded by the pia mater. 1The pineal gland has a strong blood supply, and is the second organ (behind the kidney) with the highest blood flow in relation to tissue mass. The numerous capillaries within the parenchymal cells allow intense metabolic activity. The endothelium of the pineal is fenestrated. The blood supply is greater during the night, probably related to increased indole metabolism during these hours, that is, increased production of the hormone melatonin which is an indolamine. Removal of the superior cervical ganglion concomitantly decreases the metabolic activity of the gland and 2/3 of its normal blood flow. Most of this blood supply is provided by branches originating from the posterior choroidal arteries. 2The pineal differs from almost all of the brain by the absence of a blood-brain barrier, but resembles other periventricular glands, such as the median eminence, subfornical organ (SFO) and subcomissural organ (SCO), being derived from the ependymal cells in the roof of the third ventricle. Histologically, its parenchyma consists of two types of cells: pinealocytes and neuroglia. The pinealocytes ...

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Enhanced Nocturnal Melatonin Secretion in Women with Functional Secondary Amenorrhea: Relationship to Opioid System and Endogenous Estrogen Levels

Cited by 24 publications

References 24 publications

Anorexia nervosa in female adolescents: endocrine and bone mineral density disturbances

Anorexia nervosa in female adolescents: endocrine and bone mineral density disturbances

Measuring and identifying large-study metrics for circadian rhythm disruption in female flight attendants

Effects of melatonin and prolactin in reproduction: review of literature

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